


The last chance

by BookDreamCatcher



Category: Kung Fu Panda (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 40,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21651703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookDreamCatcher/pseuds/BookDreamCatcher
Summary: What if Shen didn't get a second chance, instead the judge decides that he has to atone for his wrongs.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 45





	1. Alive and convicted

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, it's my first story here. And... maybe it is poor stuff what I wrote. But maybe you can assess it better than me. °~°
> 
> Don't be angry if I didn't write so detailed things about China and traditions. It's just a story, no study work. ^_°

Po looked at the broken ship where he had seen Lord Shen the last time. Fireworks filled the sky. Gunpowder and wet wood lay in the air. He wiped over his still wet fur. He felt how his knees trembled a little. What a day. He had defeated a whole army. And he found his inner peace. But despite everything, something heavy pressed on his soul.

"Take it easy Po," Monkey said.

Po turned around and looked at the faces of his friends.

"You did the right thing," Tigress added and gave him a nod.

"Yes," Po said, still a little sad. "Yes, it is, but although I had hoped that he would understand and..."

He interrupted himself and looked back to the sinking shipwreck where some fireworks exploded with loud crack. The colors looked beautiful, but he knew it was tainted with sadness for a creature who had filled with hate and exaggerated proud. After he had given him the decision, he had hoped he would choose the right but it became different.

"Po?"

Shifu's voice brought him back.

The red panda looked at him with serious but warm look.

"It was his own decision, which you couldn't change. You did all things right. He chose the way and got what he deserved."

Po nodded after a while. His teacher was right.

"And see, Po." Shifu pointed behind. "You saved Gongmen City. You saved China. This is more than enough what I thought."

A little smile went over the face of the dragon warrior. "Indeed."

His glance moved back to his friends who were feted by some city people.

He sighed deeply and walked to the others into the city center. What would have happened if he had grabbed Shen before the cannon hit him? He had no answer. But maybe it was the best for all. He had found his peace. Forever.

Po took a deep breath and swung his hands in the air.

"Yeeeha! Let's celebrate!"

* * *

Time flew and Po and his friends went back to Jade palace. After that Po had to think about so many things. About the experience with Shen. And about his family.

Little did Po know what happened in Gongmen City meanwhile...

* * *

_**Gongmen City** _

Master Croc and Master Ox had the control about the town back. They were busy to clean the town from Shen's henchmen and to rebuild the destroyed places what Shen had damaged, including what he had built for his cannon army. The same applied to the cleansing of the river with the broken ships which was hard work. Rhino soldiers had come to take an eye about the town, because Shen's henchmen were still around, until they quitted the field.

Master Croc and Master Ox had their headquarters in another house next to the destroyed tower. Both hoped to come back to normal day soon. But before it could happen, something interrupted their hope for peace, when a guard came with fast steps into their house.

"Master Croc! Master Ox!" The rhino cried. "We found something in the harbor."

Master Ox rolled his eyes. He couldn't imagine that the guardians found something which could surprise him.

The rhino bent down and whispered something.

Master Ox, now surprised, and Master Croc stood there with big eyes.

"Sure?" Master Ox asked incredulously.

"Really sure," the rhino probated.

Both Masters exchanged glances then they left with fast steps the house.

* * *

Some people stood near the harbor around something. Rhinos stood to the left and to the right, their spears downwards.

When the masters arrived the people, the rhinos went apart.

There lay something white dirty on the wooden jetty. Both masters recognized the shape of the ex-lord. The body was wet, covered with softly burned feathers. The robe was cut a little.

"Looks like dead," Master Croc said.

"He's still breathing," a thin sheep in blue purple coat said who was a doctor.

"Will he survive?" Master Ox asked darkly.

"Well, kind of yes, kind of no."

"Yes or no?" he asked impatiently.

"He's in a bad condition, but he seems to be no damaged badly. Maybe with some care..."

"He doesn't deserve care," Master Ox cut his word.

The ox gave one of the rhino guardians a sign and the one drew his sword.

Suddenly there was a movement in the bird body. The two Kung Fu Masters took up a ready-for-fight position, the rhinos moved their spears more down and held the head of the peacock. Some people walked back. Everybody was afraid of Shen's possible attack. But he didn't stand up. Instead, the peacock moved a little bit his wings. His eyelids flickered heavily. Then he moved his head. Master Ox tensed his arms to fended Shen's attacking fight but the bird was unfit to stand up, because of the rhinos' spears around his neck. Master Ox relaxed a little when he saw the lord was too weak for a fight. Shen opened his beak, but he was failing to give a sound, just a coughing cawing.He looked around.

First he saw Master Ox and Master Croc next to him. Then his glance wandered with trembling move to the two rhinos with a sword about him. The lord moaned with trembling voice, now knowing in what kind of risky situation he was. His eyes wandered back to Master Ox. The ox crossed his arms and looked down at him with disgusting gesture. Shen looked back, with hate in his eyes. He refused to beg for mercy. After several hard breathing, the lord relaxed his body and sank to the ground, showing no fear, and looked at Master Ox with sardonic glance with an ugly smile on his lips. Master Ox narrowed his eyes with rage. That cursed creature showed still no repentance.

The rhino swung the sword about the lord's long neck.

Suddenly Master Ox raised his hand. "Wait."

"Wait?" Master Croc didn't understand. "Wait what?"

"Was that yes or no?" The rhino asked confused.

"Take him into the dungeon," Master Ox said without explanation.

The two rhinos grabbed the peacock's wings and dragged him away. Shen moaned a little. His feet and the rest of his previously proud body hanged down and wiped over the floor.

* * *

"I don't understand you. Why did you spare him?" Master Croc asked when they entered their quarter again.

Master Ox laughed. "Who said that I will spare him?"

Master Croc stopped with open mouth. "What?"

"Did you forget?"

His partner didn't understand and looked at him with questioning look.

"I will jog your memory."

Master Ox walked to bookshelves and fetched a scroll of parchment. With that he went to the table and put it down.

"Here, this was written 30 years ago, shortly after Shen's banishment."

Master Croc sighed. "I remember how Shen's father wrote it in tears, his mother cried next to him and held his shoulder..."

Master Ox snorted and continued: "It implies, if Shen ever comes back, he will be punished for his felony of killing a panda village. His parents had had two options. First, banishing, second prison forever. They decided banishing and he should never come back."

He silenced before he continued: "Now he is back. Normally he has to keep in prison until the end of his life. A very indulgent punishment."

Master Croc scratched his head irritated. Knowing his friend, he wanted to say something more. "And?"

Master Ox didn't reply and took out another paper - the law collection of Gongmen City.

"According the law of the city, Shen's wrongs became higher. With the murder of Master Rhino, he should be executed with: ligature strangulation, decapitation divide into four parts ect.- _but._.". His hand wandered more down some lines on the paper. "With his try to conquest China, we have to give the maximum penalty."

Master Croc knew what he meant.

"But..."

Master Ox gave him a dirty look. "What is it?"

"It would break his parents' souls."

Master Ox slapped his hand on the table firmly und tapped on the parchment intensively. "It's a rule of Gongmen City. We have to follow these introductions."

Master Croc kept silent for a moment. Then he nodded and looked at an old picture of Shen's parents on the wall. "May they forgive us for this decision."


	2. For the last time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... :-)

Po yawned when he woke up this morning very early. It had past few days after they came back from Gongmen City, and meanwhile he had to tell the story of his victory in the village over and over again.

Tiredly he rubbed over his face. His mind was still woozy. There was something what he had seen in his dream. A bad dream.

While his friends were still sleeping, he walked outside where he knew Shifu made his tai chi relaxation training near the peach tree.

The sun hadn't appeared yet and the fog lay in the valley.

"Master Shifu?"

Master Shifu didn't interrupt his movements, but he raised his long ears. "Oh, so early Dragon Warrior?"

"Um, yes. And I..."

He rubbed his back head. "Well... aaand..."

Shifu narrowed his closed eyes. "Yes, Po?"

"I didn't sleep well. I think, I... that means, I don't know. Maybe it was because of so much what happened in the City... or I have to take a breakfast..."

"Po, what is it?" Master Shifu asked calmly but seriously.

"Eh... it was more a dream." He thought a moment. "A bad dream."

"About what?" Shifu asked without interrupting his exercises.

Po waved his hands. "Uh, maybe it was one of the crazy dreams like my dad told me about noodles."

"Po!"

Shifu interrupted his practice and looked at him a little annoyed.

The panda sighed.

"I saw Shen."

Shifu froze and blinked.

"Related to what? What did you see?"

"Uh... is that important? Something wrong?"

"Po, just tell."

"Well, ehm... first I saw him sinking down endless deep dark water and then, suddenly he jumped out and stretched his feet in my face. After that I woke up. And tried to sleep again... and..."

"And?"

"And I managed it." Po smiled.

Shifu narrowed his eyes more. "Po."

"Alright. But then... there was a dark room. Very dark. I saw him about me in chains with... blood."

Po shivered. "Puh... at least I woke up and thought about noodles, but it didn't work. So, I stood up."

Shifu looked seriously. He turned around and walked away. "Alright then."

"Was that all?" Po asked surprised. "No wise words or similar?"

"No," Shifu replied without to stop walking.

"But there is something," Po said and ran behind the little master. "I see it in your face Master." The panda placed himself in front of Shifu and walked backwards. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

"There is nothing."

"But there is something."

"No."

"But there must be some..."

"Po! It's enough!"

Po stopped irritated.

"Let's talk about something more important," Shifu commented and walked to a place where they had a beautiful view above the village.

"Something more important?" Po asked a little worried.

"Po, I still don't know what but I feel something bad will come into our valley," Shifu said lost in thoughts.

"What is it?" Po asked curiously.

Shifu walked along the rocks. "I don't know, but for this reason we have to take special care. Especially when the festival of peace will start in two weeks."

"Wohou," Po cheered.

Shifu gave him a skeptical look. "Don't tell me you never heard..."

"Yes, yes, of course. Everyone in the village knows the story. I know it inside out. I had to make a speech about it in school. It's the most important festival of our village. It was war on this landscape. Two village nations fought with each other. His high point came here to this place. Master Oogway found the Kung Fu meanwhile and before the nations could defeat themselves he made peace between them. Since this day, our village got his name. But if someone ever breaks the peace this could be the end of the village."

Shifu clapped his hands in applause very slowly and unimpressed.

"Yes Po," he said unemotionally and went in the Jade palace. "But this time it will be a little different."

"Why?"

"Now that the Dragon Warrior came, you will have the most important part."

"Really? Wow! What have I to do? Guiding a parade? An eating contest? Or, or..."

"You will greet the two leaders of the two nations," Shifu interrupted. "They will come to greet the dragon warrior personally. There must not be any mistakes."

"Don't worry, Master. I will greet them so well, that they will never want to go."

He turned to the right site and looked into the empty air like he would talk with an invisible person.

"Hi, I'm Po... uh no... Hello, I'm the Dragon Warrior, call me Po... no, no, no... call me Dragon Warrior... uhm shall I say: "Welcome in Valley of Peace" first? Yes or no?"

Shifu didn't move a muscle and covered his face.

"No, wait, wait, wait, wait. Or what about "Welcome, I want to give you a hug of peace..." Ahhhgghg I will make it, Master. I will make it... I just need some practice."

"Po, be yourself, but polite."

"Oh, yes, yes. Veeeery polite. Because otherwise it could be the end of our village... Really? The end? Master Shifu. That's just a rumor, isn't it? No?"

Shifu raised his hand. "Po, the best what..."

Suddenly the door opened and a palace goose came in.

"Master Shifu. An express letter."

He gave Shifu a paper roll and disappeared.

Shifu opened and read it silently. Po saw how the face of him changed worried.

"Bad news, Master?" Po asked carefully. "Anything about your family? A robber attack? I'm ready..."

"Shen survived."

Po froze.

"What?"

"He was found near the harbor and..."

"The dream!"! Po cried and ran around. "It was a vision! We have to close all doors! We have to bolt the windows!"

"Po! He is in prison."

Po relaxed. "Puhh, okay, in prison good... prison..." Pictures of the end of his dream came back and his eyes grew wide with horror.

With a fast movement he pried the letter away from Shifu.

"Hey!" Shifu complained frustrated. "You aren't allowed to..."

"Shhhh-"

Po eyed the letter fast.

"Maximum penalty?"

Shifu took the paper again.

"What will they do with him?" Po continued his questions.

"Po, some things should go unmentioned. The council decided to give Shen the maximum penalty."

"Uh, okaaaay. Good, eh. What does it mean?"

Shifu kept silent. He folded together the roll of paper and walked away with slow steps while Po followed him.

"Are they going to kill him?"

"Po, you have to know, there are sometimes situations where you don't want to live."

Po guessed that it wasn't good. He kept silent until he opened his mouth hesitantly.

"Can I visit him?"

"No!" Shifu turned around and pointed the letter at him. "I know you are the Dragon Warrior, but you are still too young to see such kind of things. It's a process of pain and nearly death. They will keep him alive as long as he is in ability while he will be tortured."

Po swallowed.

"When do they want to do it?"

"Po! I said you stay here!"

"I only want to know when."

"I don't know. They only wrote it will happen in a while. I guess that they want to give him time to recover to be strong enough. I know that it is an old rule there that a prisoner has to be in good condition."

Po tapped his fingertips together and looked at them. "Uhm... Can I talk with him?"

Shifu let hang his ears. "Po, he murdered your parents. Why do you want to see him?"

"I want to talk with him in peace. Just for the last time."

"You are his biggest enemy. I don't think that he wants to see you."

"He was the last one who saw my parents the last time. I still have some questions. When we saw the last time, it was a little bit.. short. Just a few minutes at least."

Shifu watched him skeptically and sighed deeply.

"Po. I know your magnanimity and I appreciate it, but don't dare to contradict the council of Gongmen City. It's a done deal and can't be amended. Also an old rule there."

Po kept silent for a while, then he nodded.

"Alright."

Master Shifu narrowed his eyes. "Po. Promise it."

Po sighed. "I promise."

"Fine. In this case you have my permission to go. But! You have to be back in two weeks before the festival starts."


	3. Alone is not enough

"Where do you want to go?" Monkey asked when he saw Po with a backpack on his back.

"Uh, I have to do a little journey."

"Without us?" Viper asked with surprise.

After Po explained what happened in Gongmen City, his friends were silent for a moment.

"We will come with you," Monkey said.

"No," Po said resolutely. "I have to go alone. This is between him and me. I want to talk with him alone, very alone."

"We could wait outside."

"Sorry, no, it's a single tour. I left my village alone and I want to face my fate alone."

Tigress wanted to say something, but Po looked at her so determined that she nodded.

"Then go."

Po sighed with relief. "Thank you."

After a wave of "goodbye", Po left them and walked away.

His friends followed him with their eyes until he disappeared.

* * *

Po couldn't remember that the way to Gongmen City was so long. Maybe it was because that he walked alone, without to talk with someone. After a "long" while, it had been just a few kilometers, he sat down with panting.

"Uh, what an effort."

His stomach growled.

"I'm hungry. I need some power." He put the backpack on the floor. "Power for the Dragon Warrior."

He opened the bag and get out a parcel. Suddenly...

"Ahhh!"

Po let fall the wrapped lunch when a green figure jumped away on a stone.

"Mantis!" Po scolded. "I said, I want to walk alone."

"Sorry, we can't let you go all alone for such a mission."

Po became angry. "I can do it alone."

Mantis shook his head. "Let me just accompany you to Gongmen City. I think you need someone to talk while the long way to cheat the time, don't you?"

Po relaxed his body before he was ready to fight against Mantis. He sighed deeply. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Alright. But remember..." He took his backpack. "It's my personal mission."

Mantis vibrated with his antennas thankfully. "Fine." Then he jumped on Po's head.

* * *

The prison was dark and cold, especially the cell in the back most corner.

Shen took a deep breath through his hurting lungs. He wished to sleep and a place to lay down. But there was no chance. He clawed his metalless claws on the hard, stony floor. His knees trembled a little. Chains kept him up and stretched him out in an uncomfortable position. Chains were also around his chafe feet and prevented him walking.

He hissed annoyed. That cursed... He dragged on his hand chains.

"Mmpf!" He interrupted abruptly. It was impossible to come free without severe pain. These chains were a very special manufacture for animals which weren't easy to tether. The metal rings wrapped the middle of his wings, but these rings had connected with yarn which were sewn-in in his skin under his feathers like earrings. If he tried to break free, he would rip his skin very badly.

He moved his head. A leather gag had wrapped around his beak. Several times he had tried to take it off without success. The albino peacock sighed despondently. He felt like a captive attack dog.

What a shame. How did it happen? Everything had gone well, but then everything came different when the panda appeared.

He had cursed that white-black creature more than a million times since he had captured here. But he had to admit that it was useless to curse.

He eyed his damaged robe, under it, he saw dirty feathers and further down his stretched, galled feet.

The formerly lord felt more than humiliated, but he knew that it would be just the beginning of his suffering.

He moaned deeply. He was so tired. That ruthless rhinos hadn't been very friendly when they brought him here. They gave him no time to relax. Without regard, they put him here in the hindmost cell, without water and food. Without warmth and comfort. It was a miracle that his heart was still beating.

He coughed through the nose. He moved his tongue in his blocked beak. His mouth was dry. Never in his life he was so thirsty for little drop of water.

The peacock raised his head when he heard footsteps. He tensed his body and waited until a big guy opened the cell door.

A gigantic rhino came in and placed himself next to him. Shortly afterwards, Master Ox and Master Croc entered the room.

Shen narrowed his eyes to dangerous looking slits.

Master Ox nodded and the rhino removed the leather gag from the peacock's beak.

Shen moved his beak distastefully, happy to come free from that thing for a while.

"Are you satisfied to see me like this?" Shen spat testy. "Do you feel stronger now?"

Master Ox snorted. "You know very well why you are here."

Shen had hoped secretly that it wouldn't happen, but the day had come.

"I'm curious to hear." He laughed jerkingly, but suddenly he coughed badly. His lungs hurt after every breath for his voice.

"The law of Gongmen City condemn you to death by torture. And you know what you expected."

Shen's face was stony, then he smiled mockingly.

"Is that all?" He coughed again and cursed himself. He felt Master Ox's feeling of gratification. The atmosphere was more than dead in this room.

Master Ox didn't move a muscle. "But just because you are a part of the royal family, you have the right to get an analgesic. But just a very little."

Shen closed his finger feathers a little. Then he smiled spitefully.

"I need nothing from you fools," he said hoarsely.

"As you wish," Ox said disparagingly. He looked at the rhino. "Check him."

The guard came closer and controlled the face and body of the peacock. Shen made an ugly grimace on his face that a dirty guy touched him so impudent.

The peacock winced a little when he touched his shoulder. But the guard didn't pay attention and took a look into Shen's mouth and pulled down his eyelids.

Shen didn't resist, although he wished he could give that bastard a hard push. But he didn't want to shame himself like an idiot in front of the Kung Fu Masters, who would be amused to see him like this. No, he wanted to go down with proud and dignity. Master Croc didn't say a word, and he looked like he would feel a little sorry for their prisoner.

"Just two days more and he will be ready," the rhino said and left the lord.

Shen hissed annoyed.

Master Ox nodded satisfyingly. "So, are you ready?"

Shen narrowed his eyes. Was that ox waiting for a plea for mercy? The Ox had still in his mind how Shen killed thundering rhino brutally cold. Shen looked away to the side of the wall and ignored him.

"Answer!"

But the peacock acted deaf and stood there like a stubborn child.

Master Ox shouted with rage and ran forwards, but Master Croc held him back.

"Calm down. He will be punished soon enough."

Master Ox snorted. He waved his hands in the air angrily. His glance still on the supercilious peacock. Then he turned around.

"We will see in a few days on your punishment."

Shen snorted rebelliously. "It will be a pleasure for me."

The rhino wanted to gag him again, but the peacock ducked.

"Don't dare!" He warned.

The rhino snarled and grabbed the lord's neck. Shen struggled.

"Are you so afraid of me that you take my voice?!"

These words were dedicated to the masters who were already gone. They turned around while Shen had effort to avoid the gag.

"How fussy of you...mpmff!" The rhino pressed the leather gag with all force against his beak.

Master Ox snorted. "Just to keep sure, that you can't wheedle someone with your inane thoughts."

The lord managed to come free for the last time.

"So you are afraid that I would come free, aren't yo..."

The rhino cut his word and bonded together the straps around Shen's head.

The lord looked at the two masters with red tired but jeeringly annoyed eyes. His eyes were redder than usual. He didn't sleep the last few days. But the will of that bird hadn't broken yet.

The fists of Master Ox became firmer. "Take off," he snorted.

The rhino snorted back and removed the gag again. Shen breathed heavily. A wave of relief came over him when the door cell was closed.

When they were gone, Shen waited a few minutes longer until he was sure that nobody was in near anymore. He breathed out and hanged his head.

Why did the universe curse him with a more painful death? He had been ready to die when the cannon fell down on him. Now his way of suffering became longer. He moved his wings. He pressed his eyes together and hissed. There was no way to come free. He had also no chance to kill himself before these bastards would take him his last breath in his blood.

At least he didn't have to see that panda.


	4. What happened in this night?

Po felt relief when he and Mantis saw the first houses of Gongmen City in the morning light. Po didn't want to waste time and walked, after a little break at a noodle restaurant, to the house of the two Kung Fu Masters.

Both were a little surprised to see the Dragon Warrior so early again.

After a greeting, Po came to the point of his visit.

"I have heard you found Shen."

Master Ox's face became dark. "Indeed. I don't know how, but he seemed to make a deal with dark forces."

Po smiled nervously. "Eh, yes. How is he?"

Master Croc cleaned his throat. "He is alive until now, but..."

"... not much longer," Master Ox finished his sentence. "His time is over. We will come into his punishment in less than one hour."

Po swallowed. He didn't like the thought to punish the lord this way. Of course, he did so many bad things. Including his parent's murder. But Po wasn't going to kill him when he lay on the broken ship after his victorious fight. He had given him the chance to change his life. But...

"Why do you ask?" Master Ox's words called him back. "If you are going to torture him alone, sorry, we have hired a good torturer."

Po waved his hands nervously. "No, no. I'm here to talk with him."

"You want to give him a tongue-lashing? I rather like this idea. In this case, it will be a pleasure to usher you to him."

Master Ox thrust the Dragon Warrior aside and shoved him to the exit.

"You have also the right to watch the show."

"Show?" Po rubbed his neck anxiously.

"If you want, you can get a seat at the forefront," Master Ox continued while they did the way to the prison.

"Uh, very kind of you... but I can't take..."

"Of course you can. In this case we should hurry. His start is scheduled in 55 minutes."

Master Croc sighed, who walked behind them. "He can't wait."

* * *

Po felt a little unwell when he entered the prison hall. Master Ox went first, followed by Po. Before that, Po had said to Mantis to stay outside, like he promised to wait.

Po shivered when they walked deeper through the stony prison corridors. A few torches lighted the walls. Master Ox stopped. Po looked aside and saw a gigantic rhino in front of a metal door, which guided into another corridor.

They exchanged some words, and the rhino opened the door. Then they continued walking.

"Here we are."

A cell door opened and Master Ox waved his hand inside. "May I introduce, the soon-to-be death condemned prisoner."

Po eyed the almost dark cell room.

"Oh, yes, thank you."

He entered and stopped.

With silence of disbelief, he stared at the white broken bird.

The wounds of the lord weren't treated. They were still dirty. His robe had cut and burned. They didn't give him a clean cloth at least. Chains stretched his arms and legs.

Shen had closed his eyes and gave the expression that he would meditate. He moved weak his lips from time to time.

"Didn't he receive a medical treatment?" Po asked.

"He can relax when he is dead," Master Ox commented and laughed.

Po sighed pityingly. "Uh, okay. Can I talk with him alone now?"

Master Ox snorted. "But remember. We will start punctually in the minute."

He closed the door and Po left alone.

Shen still didn't move and seemed to feel and to hear nothing.

Carefully, he came closer.

"Shen?"

Shen cramped his face muscles and ignored him. Instead he moved his lips faster.

"Uh... Shen?"

Po reached out his hand and touched the lord's right shoulder.

Shen growled loudly.

"Grrrggghh! Could you..."

He stopped with wide eyes when he saw the panda.

He narrowed his eyes wrathfully. "You!"

Po waved his hand hesitantly. "Um, hi."

The peacock jumped forward. But suddenly he shouted stridently and cramped when the yarn hurt his skin. He controlled his pain and found his self-control back.

"What do you want, panda?" he asked exhausted. "It shouldn't be at all surprised if you are the one who was chosen to torture me."

The words of the soothsayer still echoed through his head.

"Um, no. I want to talk."

"That's a bad torment for me."

He gave him an ugly look.

"No, that's not what you think. I... if I could... I wish I could avoid that."

"Avoiding what?" Shen asked disparagingly.

"I heard what they are going to do with you."

Shen was speechless for a while, then he smiled. "Mpmf. And you came that I can amuse you? For a Dragon Warrior, you are more than cruel."

Po narrowed his eyes. It was useless to convince the lord of the contrary. He swallowed down his anger and started his questions.

"What happened in the night?"

Shen listened attentively and peered hard at him.

"What a night?"

"You know what a night. The night of the day, when you attacked the panda village."

"There is nothing more to say."

"Yes, we already talked about, but I want to know more. For example, did you kill my parents or some of your soldiers? Did they say anything? How did you kill them?"

Shen watched him with unemotional glance. An ugly smile played upon his lips. "If you only came here to know it, your way was futile. I will take all my thoughts into my grave. If I ever get one."

Shen's eyes were mischievous and malicious. And Po knew, he would keep silent until his last breath.

He lowered his face.

"Can I do anything for you?"

Shen chuckled and said with a hoarse dark voice: "Kill yourself."

Po looked at him sadly. It hurt him to see the lord so bitterly and without a future for life. He tried to see something in his eyes, but Shen understood hiding his inner feelings like a safe.

Suddenly a rhino opened the door with a broad grin.

"Visiting time is over."


	5. Slowly humiliation

The rhino took the chains from the wall, but not away from Shen. Shen took it easy. Or he had been accepted it.

Po followed him with his eyes. Shen gave him a last gloating glance, satisfied to leave the panda with open questions. Then he let conduct away from the guard out of the cell. Po walked behind them. He scrutinized Shen but the lord seemed to be unafraid. He didn't plead for mercy or more time. He didn't struggle or said a word. He walked the way like it would be the most normal in the world.

Po didn't believe that the lord wouldn't rather come out of here. But otherwise there was no way of escaping. Not even he could change it. Like Shifu said, it was a done deal.

Together they walked through the corridor to a side room. The thick metal door opened and they entered a room with stone walls, hanging chains from the ceiling and other instruments made of wood and metal. Po looked around reverently. Shen showed himself unimpressed and watched all with neutral glance.

Master Ox and Master Croc stood already in the middle of the room and talked with an ox which was a much beefy condition than Master Ox. Po eyed the giant with big eyes.

"Wow, aren't you "Wei" the dark ox from the Mountains of Fear?"

The bigger ox snorted proudly. "I came from far away after somebody told me there is a special job for me."

"Are you related to him?" Po asked and pointed at Master Ox.

"From a far-away family part."

Po was impressed. "Wow. It's a pleasure to see you."

With that he bowed with deep respect.

"So, this is your candidate," Master Ox said and pointed at Shen. "He is also pleased to meet you."

The ox looked at the still proud standing lord. With heavy footsteps the ox came closer and cracked his fingers.

Shen smiled. "Nice outfit. Are you his grandmother?"

And looked at Master Ox.

Po chuckled secretly.

Suddenly an ax slammed on the floor like from nowhere and missed millimeters Shen's beak and tiptoes.

Po became pale and faltered. Master Croc held him.

Shen didn't move a single muscle, just his smile was gone.

"So, are you going to cut me?" the lord asked with businesslike voice. "How unimaginative."

A nasty grin played on the ox's face.

"I wonder whether you will make your jokes when I pull your feathers."

He moved his fingers threateningly. Shen watched him with a warning look.

A quick movement...

"Ouch!"

The ox held a feather of his wing in his hand.

"Don't dare do it again!" Shen hissed.

"Oh, did it hurt?" the ox jeered.

Shen sighed angrily.

"Ouch!"

Again the ox had pulled a feather.

"Imagine what feel it will be over your whole body. Feather by feather."

Shen's face was stony. Everybody knew the fun was over. Shen folded together his wings a little. That bastard dared to take his most pride.

Po swallowed. "Um... er... Interesting method. But don't you think it's a little... hard?"

"Shut up, panda," Shen hissed. "I don't need stupid words like from you. I don't care."

The tormentor laughed. "Of course not."

Po sighed with relief.

"The next will be more painful, don't worry. We have a nice program."

Po became pale under his fur. Just Shen didn't say a word. His body seemed to be like stone, his eyes directed on the floor. Po looked at him with helpless look. The peacock had still a little chance to regret. Just maybe. But Po guessed that Shen would never do so. He was as proud as a... a peacock.

"Do what you want to do," were the only words what the lord had to say.

Two rhino guards encircled him. The ox reared up himself in front of Shen. Shen looked up at him. There was no fear, no emotion in his glance. The ox grabbed the lord's robe and let if fall again.

"Take it off. You will not need it anymore," he talked to the two guardians.

Shen tensed immediately when they grabbed his arms. The ox drew a knife and damaged his silver robe more.

The peacock screamed in protest when they took off his damaged robe which had given him his last pride. But the guards were much stronger than him and managed after several tries to pull down the white silver cloth from his body.

"How can you dare?!" he screamed.

Po didn't know whether he should look away or not. The feathers still covered the lord's body, but it was humiliation what these guys did to him. Po decided to hold a hand about the half of his face to avoid Shen's evil with rage filled eyes.

"YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!" Shen screamed.

The ox showed himself unimpressed and threw the robe into a corner.

"Nice." He grabbed the peacock's neck and lifted him up a little while the other guards held the rest of the body down.

"Save your loud voice. You will have time to use it later."

"Uhm," Po stuttered. "In this case, I will go now. I have sensitive ears. Very sensitive."

Meanwhile, Shen had recovered from that and had called back his pride.

"No matter," he said with calmer superciliously voice. "It had been old."

Despite all, the peacock placed an ugly weird smile on his lips. "Are you enjoying this, _panda_?"

Po took down his hand and looked at him with sad eyes. "No, I'm sorry..."

Shen leaned back his head and laughed. "Sorry? Why so blamed? I hope you will never forget. I will hunt you through your dreams until you make your last breath on this stupid damn earth."

Po couldn't say why, but he thought to hear fear in his voice. As if he tried to be ready for what will come next.

"After we have amused, we will come to our program," the ox Wei interrupted.

Shen cramped when the guards dragged him away. He tensed his muscles as well as he could, as if he tried to take away all feelings and nerves out of his body. He knew he had to be strong now. But he didn't know whether he would stand it long. He was still too weak to have inner strength complete.

He was stretched out with chains around his wings and feet like before in his cell. But the ox stretched it more than usual. Shen took a deep breath when he was ready with that.

"So cramped?" Wei asked with surprise. "You have to relax if you want to enjoy it."

He held out long tongs.

Shen eyed it shortly and looked away. His claws firmly into the stone floor. His eyes were only focused on Po's face. He wanted to show him, he was strong. This white-black creature became his doom. His enemy shouldn't have the triumph to break his will. Also not his body, which was doomed with the beginning of his birth.

The ox clacked the tongs several times near Shen's ears before he moved it to the side playfully and grabbed with that one of Shen's finger feathers. A fast pulling...

Shen didn't want to scream. He pressed his mouth together when he pulled the feather out. He was near to curse these fools around him, who took his majesty more and more away from him.

"Nothing to say?" the ox said with played sorrow. "Maybe the wrong point."

His eyes wandered behind Shen's back. Shen perceived it and narrowed his eyes warningly.

_Don't you dare._

But the ox dared it. He walked behind the peacock and grabbed some of his long red white patterned feathers.

"Nice stuff. I wish I could hang it into my room."

Shen growled, his glance still ahead.

The ox jiggled it.

"Do you allow me?"

The lord closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"I think it's a "yes"."

He added his pulling. Shen's body tensed more.

A muffled shout came from him as one of his beautiful feathers left his tail.

Master Ox became impatient. He wanted to hear the painful screams from the murderer of Master Thundering Rhino.

"Take it all!" he cried.

"But..." Po started to say, but his "buts" were ignored when the ox Wei pulled one long feather of the peacock tail after another. With every pulled feather Po recognized very weak a very little tear in the peacock's eyes.

The lord breathed harder, jerked shortly, but found the control again. Ignored the pain, dumped his nerves.

Po was impressed of the lord's self-control. Did he train it? Shen had effort to avoid screaming and let out all his anger and rage on the panda.

Po was filled with blame more and more. He couldn't stand his glance any longer. If he could do nothing, he wanted to give the lord the chance to feel free to stand it alone without his presence. And with that he ran outside wordlessly.


	6. Attackers around

Mantis was still waiting in front of the prison. He raised his head when he saw Po coming back. "And? How was it?"

Po didn't reply. He passed Mantis, his glance far away.

"Uh, Po?"

But Po didn't seem to hear him and walked along some houses, then he let fall himself on a bench.

Mantis followed him and sat next to him.

Po sighed. "I don't know what to do. I wished I could do something, but I can't."

Mantis guessed what he meant. "But you have no right to change it."

"I know, damn, I know."

Po was so deep in thoughts, that he didn't see the fast running shadows. But Mantis did.

"Hey, Po."

"Not yet. I must think... Ouch!"

Mantis had given him a slap. "Look! Someone is prowling through the area."

Po worked up curiosity and looked around. "Where? Who?"

"They went to the dungeon building."

Po jumped up and ran to the entrance, where two rhinos still stood keeping watch.

The panda scratched his head. "Uh... are you sure, Mantis?"

"I saw some suspects creatures, I'm sure."

Suddenly several black shadows jumped at the rhino guards and attacked them with blows and kicks.

Po and Mantis recognized thin cat looking animals with leopard looking fur in black clothes.

Po got big eyes. "Who are they?"

"Unimportant!" Mantis said. "They want to break the prison. We have to help."

Po thawed from his staring. "Oh, yes, yes."

They ran forwards where the rhinos were almost defeated. The attackers looked around when they heard the two friends.

"No wrong movement," Po threatened. "Or you will feel our fists."

The cat looking leopards didn't hesitate and attacked them. There were almost ten.

Po and Mantis were ready for a fight and gave their best to fight them off. At this moment more rhinos came.

"Warn the others," Mantis screamed at Po. "I will delay him."

Po didn't wait and ran back into the prison.

* * *

"Master Ox! Master Croc!" he shouted while he was running through the corridors. "I... there is..."

He entered the torture room and froze.

Po's eyes grew wider than never before. Shen looked more than horrible. His feather tail was gone. His feathers, which had been for him use like fingers, were gone. The most parts of his body had been plucked but at least not all. The feathers on his head and neck were still there and some feather tufts over his shoulder, belly body and over his legs. Normally it would be a picture for a laugh, but Po wasn't in the mood to laugh.

The lord was exhausted. He hung in the chains with hanging panting head.

Po forgot everything what he wanted to say and raised his hand. "I'm the Dragon Warrior and I order you..."

He stopped when he remembered Shifu's words.

_"It's a done deal and can't be amended."_

"Uhm... I mean... that you should stop plucking his feathers and do something else."

Po covered his mouth ashamed. These were the wrong words, he knew.

Master Ox laughed. "Nice idea, it became boring."

Po walked next to Master Croc. "He still didn't scream a single word," the crocodile master said.

Meanwhile the rhinos had gotten down the peacock and laid him on the floor again with stretched wings and legs.

Shen panted. Suddenly he threw a glance at Po. Po winced when the piercing hate-filled eyes met him. It was more than humiliation for the lord that the Dragon Warrior looked at him.

Meanwhile the ox Wei had fetched a big hammer.

"What are they going to do now?" Po whispered to Master Croc.

"I gather that he is going to break his arms and legs."

Po froze. Then he laughed. "Ha, ha, okay. I have heard you said you want to break his extremities, didn't you?"

His smile froze when Master Croc nodded at him.

Po looked at the ox with a worried glance. "You don't want to break his body, don't you?"

Wei grinned. "Look and learn."

The ox swung the big heavy hammer above the tied helpless peacock. Shen pressed his eyes and lips together.

The tormentor dollied the heavy instrument and let it fall on the left wing.

Po covered his ears, when shortly afterwards a shout echoed through the room which he had never heard before.

This time Shen couldn't blink back his cries and tears. Po watched how the lord breathed heavily. On his featherless skin emerged a bad bruise. He didn't want to imagine how much pain ran through the bird's body. Shen's eyes flickered quickly. As if he tried to find a place somewhere in the atmosphere to kill his pain.

Po went a few steps forwards and touched Master Ox's arm. "Could you stop it? I think it was enough..."

"Hurt me more!" Shen shouted when he heard Po's words. He didn't need mercy!

Po was confused.

Wei grinned. "As you wish."

He swung the hammer again. This time he aimed the left leg.

Po winced. "No."

"It's necessary," Master Ox explained impatiently. He wanted to hear the scream again. That creature should suffer for his sins.

Another loud scream filled the cold air, when the ox broke the leg.

Po couldn't hear that anymore. "Stop it! I..."

Suddenly Mantis jumped on Po's head.

"Po! What is it?! Did you warn them?"

Po winced. "Uh... Master Ox!

"No, he deserves no break. We will carry it out in one day!"

"But Master..."

"No objections, or you can go!"

"But I wanted... there are..."

Suddenly there were loud screams. Rhinos ran inside the room. Mantis was ready first and jumped on the next attacker's face who followed them.

Shortly afterwards, the room was filled with screams and fights. Master Ox and Master Croc had surprised, but not unprepared. In a flash there was a fight between cat leopards, rhinos, oxen, crocodile, panda and mantis.

Po's eyes went to Shen. The attackers had removed the chains from him and had pushed him on the stone floor. Shen screamed with pain when they pressed his unhurt and broken wings on his back and tied him up with a cord.

Po stood up immediately.

No, they weren't here to help Shen. They wouldn't treat him like that. The peacock screamed louder when they moved his broken wing and leg. He couldn't ignore the pain anymore. He had broken inside. He was unable to fight back and was still too weak and exhausted to win a fight.

Despite he tried to struggle. But one of the attackers gave him a hard slap on his head and Shen sank unconscious to the ground.

Po jumped forward. Some leopards obstructed his way. But Po pushed them aside. He had to avoid that they could harm Shen more. With all his forces, he fought a way through the fight until he felt the lord's harmed body in his hand.

Suddenly another creature appeared and pulled the unconscious lord away.

Po looked up and faced an annoyed leopard.

"Take your hands from him, buffing wheel."

Po narrowed his eyes and stood up.

"My name is Po. I'm the Dragon Warri..."

He jumped away when the leopard punched at him. Those guys seemed to know how to fight Kung Fu. But for a bad thing.

The leopard tried it again. This time he beat into Po's belly. The belly shook and the beat force beat back at the leopard's face. The cat leopard was pushed away and flew through the air. Po looked at his hands, glad about this special function of his body. For a brief moment, he had free area.

Without thinking, he took Shen in his arms and ran as fast as he could.

"Catch him!" an angry voice shouted.

Po ran faster. Shen gave painfully sounds, but there was no time and no chance to take care for his injuries. They had to escape.

He stopped a moment when they arrived a fork of corridors. The left corridor guided more up, whereas the right way went downstairs. Shen moved a little and moaned. Carefully Po touched the lord's head and winced when he felt the cold blood of the hard head beat. Cautiously he leaned the head closer on his chest.

"I saw him!" A voice shouted.

Po winced and ran downstairs. Aimless Po ran with Shen in his arms through the dark building. Afar he could still hear the shouts and beats from the fight. But he heard also quickly coming footsteps behind them. Po tried to remember when he was here no long time ago. Where was a place to hide?

He realized a wooden half open door. Without thinking, he jumped inside.

They came into a kind of storeroom. Carefully Po put the lord on the floor. Then he ran back, blocked the door with a wooden beam and a leaning chair.

"Alright," he said nervously to himself. "Alright. Don't panic. Think Po, think. What did you learn to do in such situations?"

Suddenly something blustering and throbbing against the door. Po backed away.


	7. Now what?

Po winced while the door was shaking. He held his breath. But then, the steps went away.

He respired and held his mouth and nervously.

What should he do now? Who were they? Whoever they were, they had bad plans against the ex-lord. Maybe an enemy.

Po turned around and looked down at the seriously injured bird. A small blood spot was on the lord's head. The hit from the leopards had been very hard. Only now he realized that the intruders had wrapped a rope around the lord's wings.

Shen was still unconscious, but he moaned from time to time quietly.

Po came closer and bend down. He had to loosen the shackles to relieve pressure on his broken wing. After he touched the cord, Shen wailed with pain. Po winced, but Shen didn't wake up. He shook again the rope, but it was too tight.

The panda sighed and looked around. No matter how bad Shen was injured or not, but they had to come out of here. But how?

Aimless Po went through the box room which had filled with all sorts of prison stuff, boxes, chains, weapons and...

Po stopped. In a corner there was a trap door.

Maybe a way to the cellar. Or to the freedom?

There was only one way to find it out.

With effort, he opened the hatch. Cold, moist air met his face. He sniffed. Thoughtfully he knitted his brow. It wasn't the smell of a wet cellar. It was the smell of water.

Po got a thought. Maybe this could be their chance.

He turned around and wanted to take Shen in his arms again, but then he hesitated.

Po remembered how big Shen's proud was. It would be a shame if he would see his body like he was now. Po searched around and found an old brown cape-looking blanket. With that he wrapped it around Shen's almost half featherless body. Shen whimpered loudly when Po was rolling him around. But there was no other way. After he did, he picked him up and together they climbed down some stone stairs which ushered them to a stony long jetty.

Po sighed in relief. Several boats had tethered there. He didn't wait long. Who knew when the attackers would find them. The boat swung a little as they embarked. Po laid Shen on the wooden floor and untied the boat. He pushed it off and the boat swam through a tunnel. Po took a paddle and the boat swam faster. If Po's thoughts were right, they would come out to the river or to the sea, which flowed through the city.

It wasn't long until there was a dim light at the end of the tunnel. They passed a little arch and came to a lonely spot in the harbor. Derelicted and ownerless ships lay around in the water. At least nobody had seen them.

Po let swim the boat adrift few meters and looked back, where he saw the last few houses of the city. Po didn't know what to do. It was a risk for both to go back. But more for Shen. Should he bring him back? It was a delinquency to spare him.

Po sighed and thought again about Shifu's words.

He looked at Shen, who lay flinching and with trembling lips on the boat floor.

Maybe it was the best for him to die. Maybe the best for all. It was his will to die. But for Po it wasn't the right thing. Not yet. Not here.

He wiped over his head and looked at Gongmen City.


	8. Somewhere on the water and on the land

The sky became darker. It was nearly in the afternoon.

Po's glance glued at Gongmen City which became smaller and smaller while the little boat cruised along the coast.

He had no idea what he should do now. He realized he had deserted Mantis and the others. But otherwise he was worried that the attackers would kill Shen. He just hoped that his friends were okay.

He heard Shen's moans.

Po grabbed the paddle and canoed faster away from the city. His glance graved.

He wanted to know what happened in the night. That's what he wanted to know before Shen died. It was his right to know the truth. As long as Shen was in his nearness, it wouldn't be wrong to keep him alive until the danger was over for him and the others.

After a while he stopped and panted. "Oh, little break."

He put aside the paddle and leaned back. Lost in thoughts, he let wander his glance. His eyes stuck on Shen, who moved a little with closed eyes.

Po sighed. He stood up and rummaged in a wooden sea chest box to find something to release him from the cord.

He found an old knife and went with it to the peacock. Carefully, he put away the blanket and cut through the rope. The lord breathed with hissing sounds when the rope was losing around his wings. Po threw the cord away and thought about what he should do next.

He winced. Shen began to move firmer and tried to crawl. Suddenly the peacock made quick movements. His eyes were wide open. Po flinched few steps. What's up with him? Was he going to choke or to attack?

In the next second, Shen jumped forwards, he bent his head over the railing of the little boat and... disgorged.

Po did nothing. He let him vomit. Had it been all too much for him? Or was something badly damaged?

It wasn't long. After less than 10 seconds, Shen lifted his head again and breathed heavily. With trembling hands, he clung to the boat.

Po touched his back.

"It's okay."

Suddenly Shen moved his head in his direction and looked at him with hateful and ashamed eyes. To vomit in front of his biggest enemy, it was humiliation than nothing more in the world. But he was still too weak to attack him. He moved his lips, but Po couldn't understand what he said, but he guessed it weren't positive words.

But then, Shen managed to form clear words. "You... die."

Suddenly he rolled back his pupils and closed his eyes nervelessly. Po bent down and held his upper body which hang powerless over the boat railing.

Carefully he brought him back into the boat. He rolled him on his back and watched him. Po controlled his pulse and determined the heart was still beating. Slowly he petted over his head. He had pity on him. Would that lord ever change? Po couldn't understand that such a powerful ruler had thrown away all what he had in his life to become a cruel military leader.

He laid him down again and looked for some materials to clean his old and new wounds. The old wounds from the cannon crash were already healed, but there were still little splinters of wood inside. Some of them were a little inflamed. Po had no idea to treat such kind of wounds. He decided to clean them with water to take care of them later when he would find a doctor.

Po sighed. Where should he find a doctor? Po winced. What will Shifu say? Or all the others?

He shook his head. There was still time for this later.

With a towel he cleaned Shen's head wound and wrapped another clean cloth around it. Shen narrowed his eyes tensely. He felt the pain, but he had no force to wake up again. He had to recover.

After Po was ready with that, he lay down beside the peacock and watched the lord's breathing moving chest. At least his heart was still working. Maybe it was improbable that he would die. At least he hoped. Tiredly he closed his eyes to get a little sleep.

Meanwhile the boat swam along the forested beach. The waves floated it closer to the mainland. Suddenly the boat stranded. Po opened his eyes and looked around.

Woods and trees grew on the beach.

He decided to leave the boat here. He had still no clear aim, but they had to find a place where they are in safe for a moment.

Carefully, he took the lord in his arms and walked through the forest.

At least the peacock wasn't very heavy so that it was no problem for Po to carry him.

After a while, Po became hungry.

"Stupid. No lunch." He sighed deeply and looked to the sky. "I could need a little sign from the universe now."

In the next second, he saw a wooden cart with vegetables.

Po looked at it with surprised big eyes. "Wow, that was a quick answer. Thank you."

He walked faster and put Shen in the grass. He grabbed a big radish from one of the wooden boxes and took a bite.

"Mmmmh. Like at home."

He stopped and eyed the big wooden cart. Then he had an idea.

* * *

"Could you make it faster?" a pig asked annoyed to a big ox, who carried a wooden box with vegetables.

"We have to bring that goods as fast as possible to the restaurants. They are waiting. They have hungry customers!"

"Yes, yes," the ox said with bored voice. "I know, I know."

"Fine, fine," the pig blathered. "Hurry up, hurry up, we have to be... Hey!"

The pig ran forward with raised hands when he saw Po with a chewed radish in his hand.

"Thief! Let your dirty hands from my vegetables!"

Po swallowed down his bite. "Uh, sorry."

He wiped over his mouth. "I was hungry and I..."

"Catch the thief!" the pig cried and knocked against the ox's legs.

The ox snorted. "I catch the thief."

Po let fall the radish. "Uh, stop, before you make a mistake..."

"You made a mistake." The ox growled and ran against the panda.

Po was swift to react and in the next second the ox lay on the ground.

The ox started a new attack while the pig cheered him. "Trample him down!"

His cheers became quieter when the ox fell to the ground again and again.

After the tenth round, he raised his hand. "I-I need a timeout."

The pig pulled his ears. "Nice. We will be late. Nice! Take my goods!"

Po cleaned his fur. "I don't want to steal your things."

"What do you want instead?" the pig asked nervously.

Po cleaned his throat. "Dude, I'm the Dragon Warrior. And I need a transportation to my village."

Both became silent. "You are the Dragon Warrior? You?"

"Yes, I am. And I have to come to the Valley of Peace."

The pig jumped up. "That's on our way. It would be a pleasure for me. I heard about you when we made our way to the village."

Po smiled. "Thanks."

"Are you on a mission?"

Po thought a moment. "Uh... yes. Indeed. I'm on my way. Me and my... uh... friend."

The pig and the ox looked around. "Where is he?"

Po smiled nervously. "Well, he is a little... tired. We had already a hard way. And now we have to go home."

He picked up the peacock, but so that they couldn't see his whole face.

The pig scratched his head. "If that's all you can come with us."

"Oh, great, thank you, thank you."

"Come on, Yan," the pig said to the ox. "We are delayed."

The ox picked himself up. "Yes, yes." He said grumpily.

Po chose a place on the cart where he and Shen could stay. With effort, Po climbed into the cart and put Shen beside a box.

The pig placed himself on the coachman's seat and the ox took two rods in his hands and pulled the cart like a rickshaw.

"Alright. Let's go," the pig commanded and the cart began to move.

Po sighed with relief. Maybe all will go well.

* * *

The cart drove through thick forest and old ways. Po's thoughts were far away. It was irony that they drove the same way where Po was driven to the village when he was a baby. He smiled and tried to remember whether he could recognize something. But he couldn't.

His thoughts were interrupted when Shen began to move again. Suddenly the cart drove over a stone and a hard rumble shook the cart. Shen blinked. Po thought he would asleep again, but then Shen blinked firmer and looked around in a baffled way.

"W-what-h hap-pened?" he stuttered between breaths.

He winced when he saw Po sat opposite in front of him. The panda smiled and raised his hand. "Hi."

Suddenly Shen's eyes became venomously and seemed to remember.

His lips trembled, his glance filled with rage.

Po became afraid. "Uh, eh, calm dooown."

Shen growled and jumped up. But then his shout changed into screams of pain. He fell against Po.

The panda lifted his hands calmly. "It's okay, Shen. It's okay. You don't have to..."

Shen didn't let him finish his sentence. With his unbroken leg, he dug his claws in his face.

Po screamed with fear. He rolled aside, tried to flee, made few steps too much and both landed ungently on the dirty grass-covered floor.

The panda and the peacock fell apart. Po fled away few meters. Shen wanted to attack again, but it was impossible to hold himself on his feet. He lay on the floor with narrowed closed eyes. The lord breathed hard, accompanied by wailing growling sounds to stifle the pain which eased slowly.

"Anything wrong with you?" the pig asked.

Po waved his hands. "We are okay, we only have a little... argument."

He went to Shen. "Shen, you must not move. Your wing and leg are broken."

Shen threw a hateful glance at him. "I'm never broken - panda," he spat annoyed.

Tremulously he raised his long neck. The rest of his body still on the floor with his heal right wing, he tried to stand up, but every passive movement sent thousands pinprick-like pains through his body, through his head and paralyzed his clear thoughts.

He breathed with hissing and growled when he felt how a blanket was covered his body. Po had fetched the blanket from the cart.

Shen breathed harder and became angrier. "If you are ready to humiliate me more, don't hesitate and feel free to do it. I'm always ready to die. I will keep standing until you kill me."

Po kept silent. "Why should I do that?"

Shen stopped in his hard breathings, before he laughed hoarsely.

"Nice, but don't take me for a fool."

Po shrugged his shoulders. "No, I'm serious. Why should I kill you?"

Shen breathed faster, then he smiled with venom in his eyes. "If it satisfies - your punishment. - I - I took your family, did you forget, - stupid panda?"

The lord smiled dangerously. "You will never get them back if you kill me - and I wanted to kill you - and - I'm still planning to do it."

"Gentlemen, do you want to continue our journey or not?"

"Yes, we are coming," Po said.

Shen raised his eyebrows. "We?"

"Uh, yes."

Shen narrowed his eyes. "Where do you want to go?"

"This cart brings us to my village. There we will be in safe."

"In safe?" Shen asked surprised.

"From the attackers. Did you know them?"

Shen narrowed his eyes more. His lips kept closed.

Po sighed, but he respected the lord's right of silence.

"Alright. Come on. Let's go."

He bent down, but Shen chased away his hands.

"Don't - touch - me!" he hissed brokenly. "I will never come with you."

"You can't stay here."

"Better to die here than to be with you."

"Don't say that," Po said sadly. "By the way, there are still some points I want to know."

"And after that you will kill me?"

"Uh, maybe I can help you."

"For the purpose to give me a shorter death?"

"No, you have some problems. But maybe I could say a good word for you..." He made a little break. "If you regret."

Po watched him. Shen was still trembling. But suddenly the bird laughed.

"You can make so stupid jokes, panda," he chuckled.

Po smiled. "Well, maybe it sounds stupid, but maybe you will change your mind."

Suddenly Shen made an unforeseen jump and grabbed the panda's neck with his claws.

Po hadn't planned on that and stood there with speechless glance. That peacock was much stronger than he thought. All of a sudden he had seemed to kill his pains and looked at the panda's eyes maliciously.

"I will go nowhere," Shen said with trembling voice. "And you - you will go nowhere, panda!"

Shen threw his weight against Po. Po fell back.

"Shen! Stop it! You make it worse with your broken bones."

But Shen didn't listen to him. Like in a wild trance, he dug his claws deeper in his fur. But Po was much stronger than the bird with his bad condition. He rolled around and Shen landed on the ground while Po was lying on his belly and kept him down.

The lord trembled hard and tried to stand up.

"Hey!" The pig asked. "Do you wanna travel with me longer or not?"

"Drive away" - "Wait for us" Shen and Po cried at the same time.

"Drive away, drive away, get off!"

Shen became crazy and struggled like a mad man. Po deemed it for the best to calm him down. With big sighing, Po cried: "Drive away. We will fare with us well."

The pig didn't know what he should say or do. But then they drove away.

With a sad glance Po looked after them, until Shen brought him back.

"Get lost!" Shen cried angrily. "I have a right to fight for my freedom!"

Po held his shoulders down. "No Shen! I won't let you go!"

Shen narrowed his eyes that Po became scared.

"In this case, I have no better choice," Shen whispered.

A hard pain let Po wince. Shen cut with his claws under his belly. Po jumped up. Fortunately, his fur was still alright. He looked at Shen, who had gotten up. His body cramped terribly, but his will was strong enough to ignore the consequences.

"Shen! Don't make it worse!"

But Shen's eyes were wide open like insane. "I will kill you, I will kill you. The prophecy was a lie! Just a lie!"

He took a run-up, but Po was faster and threw him aside. Shen screamed with pain but Po didn't hesitate this time and laid himself on the lord's body.

"Forgive me this, but you don't let me another choice."

A fast move with his fingers on Shen's neck and Shen fell into a dreamless sleep. Po sighed with relief. For his luck Shifu had shown him that trick a few weeks ago.

The panda stood up and looked down at the sleeping peacock. Po ran along the way, but the cart was already gone.

"Nice," he muttered. "We have to walk."

Cursing and muttering he walked with the peacock on his back through the forest without knowing what would happen next.


	9. Dangerous eyes

Po panted exhausted. He didn't know how long they have been on travel already. Whereby he was the only one who made one step after another, while Shen was still sleeping on his back - involuntary.

Po looked at the sky with a worried glance. It was almost dusk. And dark clouds covered the wide sky.

"Okay, okay," Po muttered. "Nothing can happen until it's not raining..."

Suddenly he felt a few water drops on his face.

"Nice. Okay, it's just little drops of water, it would be worse if it ..."

Suddenly the drops became more and, in few seconds, rain fell with heavy water drops to earth, on the panda with the peacock on his back.

Po let hang his shoulders and sighed deeply.

"What a dopy day," he muttered.

Alone and forgotten in the wild with a creature who would kill him immediately if he got the chance. Worried he looked behind where Shen was moaning softly.

Suddenly a cold wind blew and scourged the rain deeper into their faces.

Po wiped over his wet face and tried to continue. He made a few steps and...

"No, that's so stupid."

He looked around to find a place where they could find accommodation, until the rain would end, and... maybe to spend the night.

He growled annoyed. "Whoa! Universe! It would be nice if you give us a sign for a place to become dry."

Another hard wind blew into his face and swirled foliage from the ground. Po looked in surprise when he followed the foliage.

Not far away along the hill, there stood a house.

Po kept his mouth open until he closed it again.

"Wow, this was fast."

He looked around. "Thank you," he whispered.

With fast speed he ran to the house, which looked abandoned. No light inside. No person around.

When he arrived the door, he opened it carefully. "Hello, anybody here?"

Nobody answered.

Alright, Po had no other choice. They couldn't stay outside. Not with an injured bird.

He walked in. The door was old and was ready to fall out from the hinges. The floor creaked after every step. Po was frightened that he could break through the wood. The roof was leaky, but not badly damaged. Water drops fell down in patches.

Suddenly there was a slam.

Po winced until he realized it was just a broken window shutter which slammed against the house because of the wind.

The house wasn't big. Just an empty dining room, a kitchen without kitchen furnishings, a living room with a demolished table and a single room with a bed in the corner.

Po sighed with relief. At least a place for Shen.

He put Shen on the floor carefully and cleaned the mattress and the blanket. After that he laid the lord into the bed.

Shen moaned louder. His wing trembled slightly. Po petted his head.

"Okay,... ouaahh," he yawned loudly. He was tired, but first he had to take care for Shen. He was not a doctor, but maybe he could put in a splint his broken limbs until he would find one.

Po went outside to find some straight wooden sticks and vines. After he found them, he walked back to the house. He dried them and wrapped some around the broken wing first. When he constringed the vines around it, Shen winced with clenched face muscles.

Po petted over his wing when he was ready. Then he continued with the leg.

He was already ready to pull together the vines around it when Shen began to blink. Po pulled the ropes and the wooden sticks were pressed around the leg.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Shen screamed and sat up. Po winced with shock and let it fall.

Shen held his leg with pressed pain filled face.

"It's okay, it's okay," Po said nervously. "I was just going to..."

"YOU DAMNED CREATURE OF A VILLAGE IDIOT!" Shen screamed.

"Uh, okay, well, I wanted to..."

Shen growled threateningly.

" _Don't - come - nearer!"_ he hissed with controlled pressed voice. "You will die for this."

"Hey! For what?" Po asked indignantly.

"You threw mud on my honor."

Po stood there with open mouth.

"I- I... I saved you."

"Did I ask you to do that?"

"Uh... well... I..."

"Didn't I or didn't I? Or did I?" Shen's voice sounded annoyed and embittered.

Po tapped together his forefingers. "No...," he said feebly.

For a moment, there was silence.

Shen rubbed about his broken wing while he was looking at Po with a hate-filled glance.

"I had a chance to die a death with pride," the peacock said darkly. "But you ruined it."

With that, he turned his head away. "Leave me alone."

Po dared to move again and sighed with relief. "Oh, okay,... you are tired... we had a bad day... and..."

A dangerous look from Shen and Po stumbled backwards through the door out of the room. With fast movements, he closed the door.

Po sighed. He was disappointed about himself. "Nice," he muttered.

His eyes wandered to the window. With a sad glance he looked outside.

"I wonder what the others are doing this moment."

* * *

In the Jade Palace, Shifu was meditating at this moment. It was dark outside, but it was not raining. The front carrying rain was still too far away.

Shifu felt a little touch of anxiety inside. Something wasn't right and he hoped that it had nothing to do with Po.

Candles lay around the Kung Fu Master. With concentrated gesture, he tried to find a reason for the concern.

Suddenly there was a fluttering sound in the air. And shortly after a bird fell to the ground.

Shifu stood up with bugged look.

"What is it?"

A goose appeared.

"Oh, I see you are from Gongmen City. I hope you have a good message."

* * *

Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper stood in the kitchen and tried to make something to eat.

Bored Monkey rummaged through the cupboards.

"I'm missing Po," he muttered. "His cookeries are still the best."

"Don't be so fussy!" Tigress said annoyed. "A healthy meal is also a good thing."

"I thought it was healthy," Viper said.

Suddenly the doors were opened and Shifu appeared.

"Listen!" The master cried. "Po has vanished! Also Shen!"

The four friends stared at Shifu with big eyes.

"Vanished? Po?" Monkey asked in disbelief.

"What happened?" Tigress asked.

"The torment was interrupted by unknown attackers. After that Po and Shen have vanished without a trace."

"What about Mantis?" Crane asked.

"Mantis is alright. He is still in Gongmen City and is looking for them."

"And Po?" Viper asked again in hope to get a little hint.

Shifu shook his head. "Nothing. I can only hope that he is doing not a silly thing." He crossed his arms behind his back. "And if so... he can be ready for a lot of troubles." He sighed. "If he is still alive."


	10. Reluctance and apprehension

"I will get so many troubles," Po muttered and leaned against the house wall of the living room.

He was so tired that he didn't want to search for a good place to sleep. He let himself fall on the floor and snored after a while.

The rain was still falling, and Po was sleeping deeply, when the door of the room began to move.

* * *

Shen couldn't sleep. His wing and his leg hurt terribly. Also his wounded head. He had to go out of the room. Even with effort. Hobbling he left the bed with a lot of pain. He needed some water for his dry lips. Slowly he pushed open the door and clutched himself on the door frame. He paused when he saw the panda sleeping against the wall.

The panda lay there, without protection and alone.

The lord's hands cramped. A touch of hope filled his mind.

 _This_ was his chance. Maybe his last one. The last chance to change his future.

The lord looked around. There had to be something. A weapon or similar.

He looked down at the broken table. A part of the wood had splintered and was sharp.

A dangerous smile played around his lips. Better than nothing. It would also serve well.

With effort, he scuffed over the wooden ground and picked it up.

His glance wandered back to the sleeping panda. He pressed the right hand closer around the piece of wood.

If he had been fitter, he would have tortured him for his defeat.

"The time is over for you - panda. Like I wanted to do 30 years ago."

Suddenly a water drop fell down from the leaky roof and dripped on Po's face.

Po blinked.

"What...?"

He froze when he saw Shen with a sharp wood in his right hand.

Shen stood there for a second. Then he jumped at him.

"DIE!"

In a second, Po was wide awake and jumped aside. Shen lost his balance and hit with his body on the floor. It wouldn't have been bad if he hadn't had a fresh broken wing and a broken leg. He could have stood up, but this time the pain killed his nerves and forced him to stay laying on the floor.

Po was still in shock, but he had recovered. With wide fear filled eyes, he stared at the panting peacock, who still lay on the floor.

"You should cease doing this," Po panted.

Shen managed to kill his pain good enough to straighten himself.

"I will never stop, panda."

Po shook his head with disapprobation.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Why don't you kill me, panda?" Shen asked back.

Po scratched his head. "I can't kill you in this state."

"So you want to keep me alive to torment me more? Forget it."

The lord trembled hard and tried to stand up, always trying to control the pain in his body. His body cramped terribly. Po looked at him with pity. He hoped that his limbs weren't damaged too badly.

"That's not my intent," Po asserted. "I only wanted to help you."

Shen laughed like a lunatic. "Oh, you are so naive! Really. You are the stupidest creature in this world, panda."

"My name is Po."

"I would rather die than to speak your name in my whole life."

"Shen, I want to help you. What should I do that you believe me?"

"Do you want to know an answer?"

"Uhm... y-es."

"There is - _nothing_ \- you can do."

Po kept silent and looked at the lord who smiled dangerously at him.

He sighed. "Well then, you have to go back to bed."

Po came closer, but Shen flinched.

"I said, don't touch me!"

"But Shen, after such a bad crash, you can't go alone..."

"I can!"

With that, Shen stood up with shaking muscles. He had effort to keep himself on his feet. He staggered to the side, and Po wanted to hold him, but Shen pushed his away hard.

"Away you go!"

But when Shen was in danger to fall again, Po ran to him again.

Shen became so angry that he gave the panda a cutting jab.

With fast steps he managed to arrive the room and covered with the blanket his martyred body. It was still a humiliation for him that he had lost a part of his proud feathering.

Slowly he laid himself on the bed.

"How long do you want to let me alive to mortify me more?" Shen asked with exhausted voice.

Po sighed deeply. "I don't want to mortify you. Why should I?"

Shen hissed. Assumed the panda that he was stupid?

"If I were you, I would do everything to take vengeance for my parents."

Po looked at him with sad eyes. "You loved your parents, didn't you?"

For a moment, Shen was speechless. Then he narrowed his eyes. "I hated them, more than nothing in this world."

Po didn't believe him.

"That isn't true, is it?"

"It's true!" Shen averred louder. "If you don't want to excruciate me, let me go."

"Shen! I can't let you go."

Shen became angrier. "Why not?" he gasped out with rage.

"First, you can't survive here. Second, I'm not allowed to let you go. As long as you are with me, I can guarantee that I don't break the law of the city."

Shen pulled the blanket closer around his body.

"So, you are still going to kill me."

"Uh, no, I mean... Maybe I can help you."

"To give me a shorter death?"

Po growled annoyed. It was useless. Shen still believed that he wanted to kill him.

"Call it what you will, but I can't let you go."

Shen narrowed his eyes. "For the last time - let me go!"

"No, I can't! If you want to make it easier for you, tell me who the attackers were."

Shen snorted. "Forget it! I will come free before it."

Po became indignant. "You will stay here until we find a better solution. I'm sorry. I'm afraid we will have much more troubles."

Po left him and closed the door. Shen looked after him annoyed. Then he lowered his glance. Looking for something to find a way out of his desperate situation.

His glance stuck on the rest of the vines, which Po had used to straighten his broken limbs.

"You will never get the chance to kill me."

* * *

Po yawned wider and louder. He was walking outside to get a clearer head. It was so difficult with Shen. He teared his hairs. There had to be a chance to come clear with him. Somehow.

Suddenly he heard a rumbling sound. Without hesitation, he ran back into the house. In front of the room door, he stopped.

"Shen?"

No answer.

"Shen?! Are you okay? Shen?!"

But the door had blocked.

"Shen!"

Po took a run-up and threw himself against the door. The old wood yielded and the panda fell on the floor with it. He didn't need to search long to understand what happened.

Po didn't believe what he was seeing.

Shen was hanging in the air on the ceiling with a noose around his neck.


	11. In last second

Po was like paralyzed. Suddenly he jumped up and held the pelvis of Shen's body, which didn't hang very high, and lifted the bird to ease the peacock's neck. The lord gasped for air. Po was kind of relieved and kind of shocked. But there was still life in this body.

Po stood there, his arms around the lord and had no idea what he could do next to release the bird from the noose.

His glance wandered to an old chair which lay on the floor and Shen had used to climb up to the noose.

With fast movements, he returned the chair to the upright position with his feet and jumped on it. With a loud Kung Fu cry and quick movements with his hands, he cut through the loop. The lord fell aside and landed... in Po's arms.

Quickly Po removed the noose and helped the peacock to come back into the bed.

Shen panted heavily. With closed eyes and trembling hands, he rubbed his neck.

Po looked at him speechlessly. He had absolutely no idea how Shen had managed to hang the vines over the roof beam. This bird was really stronger than he thought. Despite his broken limbs.

No long time passed and Shen opened his blinking eyes.

When he saw Po, his glance changed from shock to anger.

Po didn't know what to say and tried a smile. The lord's eyes flickered and he moved his lips.

"Let me die," he whispered again and again. "Let me die, let me die..."

With that Shen closed his eyes and lay there like dead.

Po winced and felt for the heartbeat. What a luck. His heart hadn't stopped.

Tired and exhausted, Po rubbed his temples. How long should he experience that?

Suddenly Shen opened his eyes again and sat up in the bed. Thereby he flashed his eyes at the panda scowl.

"Let me go!" he said hoarsely. "Let me go, or I will try it again."

Po looked at him with big eyes. This peacock had escaped almost death few seconds ago. Now he talked with him as though nothing had happened. This peacock wasn't worried about death. Why ever.

Shen growled annoyed. "Don't look at me like that, panda!"

"But I... I..." Po sighed disappointedly. "Shen, I can't..."

Shen pressed his eyes together into slits. "If you don't have to say more, then... disappear!"

Po was still confused and walked away voluntarily.

"Uh, do you need...?"

"GO AWAY!"

With fast steps Po left the room. In the living room he stopped. He was going to go back, but then he decided not to harass Shen more. Maybe he will calm down again.

With hanging shoulders and hanging head he left the house and walked outside. With a loud sigh, he lifted his hands to the sky.

"Oh! Universe! Could you give me a little help?!"

He winced and turned around with raised hands. There was a cracking sound in the forest.

"Who is there?!" he asked with firmly voice.

Suddenly there was a shadow in the distance. Po narrowed his eyes mistrustfully. It was still in the night so that he couldn't recognize details. The person moved slowly and seemed to be small.

The shadow came closer and closer.

Po bent his arms.

He was ready for a fight.


	12. A word

Po opened his mouth in disbelief.

"You?" Po asked with surprise.

The old goat nodded. "Yes, it's me, strong warrior."

"But how...?" Po looked at the old female soothsayer with big eyes. "How did you know where we are?"

"I felt you need some help," the soothsayer said easily.

Po scratched his head nervously. "Yes! He is so... crazy! He wanted to make suicide. And now, he had expelled me. He is totally out of his mind."

The soothsayer sighed. "That's what I thought."

With that, she walked to the house. Po looked after her. "Uh... I'm afraid of going inside."

The soothsayer nodded. "I will see what I can do."

With slowly steps she walked in. Po kept outside.

* * *

Shen moved his head to the door when he heard footsteps. After that a tentative knocking.

"I said, you should let me alone!"

"Shen, it's me."

The lord recognized the voice of the soothsayer.

"Stay away! I don't want to see you!"

"But Shen. Nobody wants to harm you."

"You did it already."

"Come on. Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid!"

"Then let me in. If you don't want to see me, then close your eyes or look away."

"Like hell I will," Shen muttered.

A sad sigh was audible. "Shen, I'm coming in."

Shen growled. "Do what you want."

She opened the door. Shen turned his face to the room wall.

The goat let rest her eyes on the lord who sat in the bed like lost in the world. With slowly steps she came closer.

"How are you feeling?"

Shen snorted. "I feel nothing."

"I see." There was silence for a while.

"I have heard what happened," she continued.

A bitter smile played on Shen's lips. "So, does it amuse you?"

The goat sighed and searched for eye contact.

"Shen. Look at me."

Snarlingly he moved his face to her direction. His unconfident eyes met hers. For a while he held the contact, then he looked away. The last time he saw her, she had wished him goodbye while he had been confident with his plans.

"Get off! Do you want to lecture me with your "wise" words, or to finalize the end of me with it?"

"You mean the panda?"

"Who else." He gave her a hate-filled glance. "Feel free. Do it. I'm ready for my end."

She reached out the hand and touched his arm.

He rapped her over the knuckles. She took the hand away.

"Shen," she said with a gentle voice. "Don't be a stupid boy."

"Don't talk with me like a child."

"But you behave like a child."

With growling, he turned away in the bed. He winced when he moved his tortured, broken leg. The goat saw it. His body had filled with strong pain.

"Let me see." She moved the blanket, but Shen took it closer.

"Don't touch me," he hissed.

"But Shen. Someone has to dress your injuries."

"Why should it care you?"

"I see pain which you want to mitigate."

"Spare your words."

The goat didn't react to his harsh reaction.

"Make yourself free."

Shen sighed exhausted.

"Is there no other way to mortify me?" he asked with weak voice.

She laid her hand on the blanket. "Come on. Unless you want the panda should force you to do it."

Shen clenched his hands. Suddenly he threw the blanket aside, so that his almost featherless body became visible.

"Are you satisfied now?!" he asked with loud voice.

She came closer. Her face filled with worries. Slowly she reached out her hand and touched his broken turned blue wing carefully.

Shen hissed and clenched.

"Shhhh-," the goat whispered. "It's okay Shen."

"Nothing is okay!" he screamed. The soothsayer winced and flinched. Shen looked at her so angrily, that she was afraid that he would do something bad. But Shen just stared at her and spoke on while he came closer with his face with every word.

"I lost my army. I lost my weapons, my dignity, and... my pride."

"And your parents," she added.

Shen winced, but his anger kept on his face.

"All because of your cupidity to rule China."

Shen's lips began to tremble. "It wasn't my fault," he breathed sharply.

"It wouldn't have happened so far if you had listened to me."

"Stop this!" Shen screamed. "You are a damned fool."

The soothsayer choked a bad word. "That's enough Shen. You stay here and I will look what I can do for you."

With that she left him and Shen kept alone with his rage.


	13. Distrust

Po glanced up when he was seeing the soothsayer come back.

"And? How was it? Is he still angry about me?"

The goat gave him a warm smile. "Don't think about it. He was always in a bad mood."

"Very bad," he muttered and looked at her thoughtfully. "And, now what?"

"I will try to treat his injuries."

"Can I help somehow?"

"You could collect some woods for a fire."

* * *

After a while, a campfire burned in front of the house. In a saucepan the soothsayer cooked something.

Po sniffed.

"What's that?"

"An old cure for a faster feather growth. Shen's family used to use it traditionally."

"Oh, good to know."

Po seat himself on the stone and looked around.

"Will he get well again?"

"As long as he doesn't give up living,... I think yes."

Po realized that her voice was worried.

"Anything wrong?"

The goat filled some of the fluid into a small bowl. "All in due time. All in due time."

Po watched her how she walked into the house.

* * *

Shen sighed when she was coming back, but he ignored her.

"Don't worry. Your pain will be mitigated soon," she said and put the bowl on a little table.

"Shen, do you remember how you tried to fly as a child and you broke your wing?"

Shen's face darkened. "I remember."

"I will do the same now."

She stood next to the bed. Shen closed his eyes. He didn't want to see her glance. His only wish was to become painless somehow. He heard how she took some instruments or something similar.

She lay aside the blanket. His body cramped while she was looking at his broken wing, which Po had splinted a little. Carefully, she took the woods and the vines away. Shen tried to press his lips together. Something fizzled. Shen hissed when some stitches flowed through his arm. It became hot. The goat stroke over his featherless skin with quick movements. Shen hissed sharply. Suddenly the pain was gone. The same she made with his leg.

Shen was glad, that she didn't try to start a new discussion. Instead, she continued her healing work.

"So, I will put something on your skin so that your feathers will grow a little faster."

With that, she took a towel and dipped it into the viscous liquid and rubbed it on his featherless skin. First over his chest, his arms and half neck.

"Roll yourself on your belly.

Shen lifted his head skeptically. "What are you going to do?"

"If you want that your long feathers should grow faster, I have to put the ointment also there."

The lord growled. "I can make it myself! Give me that!"

"You don't have to be ashamed..."

"Get off!" Shen screamed.

The soothsayer sighed and gave him the bowl. With his heal wing he took it.

"Turn around."

"Are you sure you don't need..."

" _Turn_ \- _around_!"

Sighing she did and looked at the door. Meanwhile Shen moved in his bed, trying to brush the ointment on his backside where his long feathers had been.

"Silly boy," she thought, but she didn't say it. He was still sometimes like a teenager.

She said no word until Shen broke the silence.

"Here you are," he muttered without thanks.

"Everything okay?"

Shen sighed and she knew, he didn't want to say more. With warm look, she looked at the exhausted peacock.

"Relax and try to sleep," she said warmly.

Shen didn't resist and closed his eyes. He gave the impression that he was a little bit more relaxed.

"Don't let the panda inside," he muttered dozily.

She nodded. "I will tell him."

* * *

After that nothing more happened this early morning when the sun was rising. Po was falling in sleep while the goat cooked something to eat. She was glad that Po slept so that he didn't ask her more questions.

While Po was still sleeping, she walked back into the house with a bowl with soup.

She opened the door carefully. How she guessed, he didn't sleep.

"Shen?"

The peacock winced, but shortly after he avoided her glance. "What is it?"

"Your breakfast. You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

She sighed and came closer. "Come on. Do it for your parents..."

"Don't give me that again! I don't listen to it anymore."

She didn't want to say anything. She knew, Shen wouldn't want to hear it. Without more words, she put the bowl on his belly. Shen pushed it away.

"I said, I'm not hungry."

"As you wish. Unless you want that the panda eats it."

"Meh."

"Do you really want to become weaker than him?"

Shen growled. The goat smiled when Shen was trying to hold the bowl.

She reached out his hands. "Should I...?"

"I don't need help!" Shen hissed.

"How do you want to drink it?" she asked.

"I can do it alone."

"With one wing?"

Shen rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have a spoon?"

She shook his head.

Shen tried again to hold the bowl, but it almost rolled over his belly. The goat caught it in the last second.

Shen sighed annoyed. "Don't dare to smile. I know what you are thinking."

With that, he allowed her to put the bowl on his lips. He eyed her bugged, but he swallowed down the soup with several big swigs. The goat tried not to look into his eyes.

"That's enough," he said and pushed her away.

She nodded. "Alright. Maybe more later."

She turned around to leave the room, but Shen wanted to know something.

"Wait."

She stopped.

"Tell me, what about my future?"

She sighed and turned around. "Sorry, Shen. I decided never to tell you about the future anymore. It's too dangerous to know so much about a possible future. As long as you don't change your way."

Shen growled. He hated her when she was telling him such things, what he didn't like to hear.

He stood up. The goat made big eyes.

"Shen! It's not good..."

"Shut up! I can't sit in the bed forever."

With that he put his feet on the floor, he swayed a little, but he found his balance again very fast.

He looked outside. The sun was rising and Po meanwhile was awake. He was sitting on a wood and played with a grass stalk.

The soothsayer stroke over her beard. "Why are you still afraid?"

Shen gave her a cold glance. "I'm not afraid. He will not threaten me as long as I'm not strong enough for a fight."

"Why do you think he wants to threaten you?"

"I know it. He had almost made it. I will never give him the chance to do it again."

"Don't you think, you misjudge it?"

Shen growled and lifted his pain filled wing.

"Is that wrong?!" he shouted.

"That wasn't his fault. Just because you threatened others. He just protected them from you, because it's his task to protect helpless people who you wanted to kill. And - you killed."

Shen knew who she meant.

"One more reason for him that he wants to threaten my life."

"Do you really think so?"

Shen sighed and kept silent.

"Talk with him and you will know the truth," she said.

Shen shook his head. "He will lie. I'm careful enough to spare of going through this. And I will wait until I can kill him."

He looked out of the window. Po felt his glance. He looked at him and met cold eyes. He waved his hand shyly. "Hi."

Shen turned around. Po stayed there, without knowing what he did wrong this time again.


	14. In danger

Po was disappointed to hear that Shen didn't want to see him, but he had no other choice to stay away from the house.

One - two days passed.

The soothsayer didn't talk much. From time to time, Po asked her how he was and what he was doing and she answered him with few words, but not more. Neither when Po asked her about Shen and his past, she didn't want to tell him.

"It will be seen," she used to answer and Po surrendered to ask her more questions.

But when the third day began, Po couldn't stand it any longer and dared to walk into the house, while the goat was gone into the forest.

With slow, careful steps he went through the rooms.

When he reached the door of Shen's room, he leaned his head against it and eavesdropped.

Inside the room, there were softly moans. Po opened the door very, very slowly. Shen lay in the bed and rolled himself from one side to the other. His eyes had closed.

Suddenly the lord made a quick movement and the blanket fell aside.

Po looked away in shame. He still felt sorry for him. His feathers were the only pride what he had had. And maybe it is cold...

On tiptoes he went inside and touched the blanket to put it back. But when he did, Shen opened his eyes suddenly.

Shen screamed with shock, in reflex he hit the panda, but this was a big mistake. The pain in his arm paralyzed his brain like a hammer. Po stepped backwards.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you."

Shen still sat in the bed and looked at him panting and trembling. The blanket very close wrapped around his body.

"I'm already down for the count," the peacock panted whispery. "Why do you wanna break me more?"

Po raised his hands. "Oh, this... no, no, no, no. I didn't want to... I mean... How... I would never... Did you really think..."

Shen's eyes squinted to the side to the little table where some pieces of wood lay from his splinting. One of them had a little sharp tip.

Shen looked back at Po, who was still speaking.

The lord took a deep breath and grabbed the little wood while in pain.

Po had no time to react. Like a lightning of a light the peacock threw the wood at the panda. But before it could hit the panda's chest, the arrow weapon was reeling from.

The branch crashed against the wall. With big eyes Shen looked at it pantingly, then to the side where the goat stood who had thrown something to avoid the worst.

Po stood there like a stone stature with open mouth. First because of Shen's attack and second because of the soothsayer awesome reflex. The panda had no idea what he should comment first.

Shen meanwhile looked at her. He said nothing, just looking at her with hate and goat lowered her glance.

After a while, he said only a single word: "Betrayer."

Suddenly he rolled back his eyes and sank weakly down into the bed. He had given his last force for this useless attack. A moment, both watched the lord who lay like dead there. Then the soothsayer plucked up the courage and went to the bed. Po watched her how she placed him properly in his bed, and covered him with the blanket again. After that, she left the room with slow steps.

* * *

Lost in thoughts, Po stared into the flames of the fire. It was early in the night and Shen was still sleeping as the goat could see when she looked at him the last time.

Unsurely Po looked at her.

"Uhm..."

"Yes, panda?" she said.

"Uh... thank you."

The goat sighed. "No, I have to apologize. Maybe it was my fault that I let you alone with him."

Po scratched over his chin. "But why? Why is he behaving like this? I would never hurt him."

The goat smiled bitterly. "His trust was broken. Also many years ago."

"Is there no way to bring it back?"

The goat sighed again. "Time will show. Time will show."

She turned around.

Po wanted to follow her. "Hey! Couldn't you give me a little help?"

"Time will show."

Po sighed with frustration. Why did this goat talk in riddles to him?

Disappointed he gave up to ask her more.

* * *

The moon shined peacefully to the earth.

The fire was gone. Po lay on the floor and slept deeply. The goat leaned against a tree and slumbered.

In the house, Shen hadn't still woken up. The lord lay in the bed and his breath was regular. Sometimes a little bit restless, but he was still alive.

Suddenly a shadow appeared in the window and peeked into the room.

Usually Shen would wake up. His senses were very good, but his body was too exhausted, so that he heard nothing. Not even when someone stood beside his bed.

Hands were reached out over the lord's head.

Suddenly a hand grabbed him and held him tight. Shen wanted to scream indignantly. Someone kept shut his beak and made his breathing difficult for him.

The peacock tried to free himself, but more hands appeared in the dark and held his arms and legs and were stretched. Shen opened wide his eyes and screamed with muffled cries when they hurt his broken bones so badly.

Shackles were wrapped around his body, around his neck, around his wings, around his feet. So tight that he had effort to breath. Shortly after, when they were ready, a cord was wrapped around his beak so that it hurt. The hand left his beak and a sack was put over his head.

Bounded and gagged, the unknown persons transported him away. Outside one of them threw him on his shoulders.

Shen screamed in protest and pain. His wounds were still too fresh to withstand that treatment.

* * *

The kidnapping journey didn't take a long time. Maybe 10 minutes. They walked through the forest without stopover.

Suddenly without warning Shen was thrown on the ground. Although blindfolded, he felt that he was on the forest floor in grass and dirt. His effort to stand up was useless. Hands grabbed him again and pressed him on the floor.

Someone re-moved the bag over his head.

Burning cat eyes looked down at him.

A short, sharp sword blinked in the moonlight.

The lord screamed and struggled. He didn't want to die like that under the eyes of bastards. But his kidnappers had no mercy and held him on his back. Shen felt the sharp weapon. The knife was ready to cut his trachea and his lungs.

Shen looked at the sky gemmed with stars. Then he narrowed his eyes together with cramped body. Tears rolled down his eyes. It was so humiliating. He was angry to die in front of enemies, who enjoyed his death.

"Mmmmmppfff!" he screamed, he felt the blade along his throat. Not much longer and it will cut through the skin.

"Hey! If you want to have a much fairer fight ask me!"

The pressure on his throat disappeared.


	15. A place to hide

Around Shen the vision blurred. He felt so weak. He just heard the angry voices of his captors. And another familiar speaker. Somebody kicked his rips. The bird moaned softly, but he couldn't move.

Suddenly, a loud cry of attack sounded.

Po was full of zest of action, when the leopards jumped at him and hit him with feet and kicks.

Shen blinked if something landed beside him. Shortly after a black-white shadow appeared and ran away again in all directions.

Shen didn't know how long, but sometime the cries became silent until they disappeared completely. Maybe they had run away. His heart winced when someone made approaches to him and walked through the grass. For a moment, he kept open the eyes, but he closed them soon again.

Po watched the tied peacock who lay on the dirty forest floor. Slowly he picked up the knife and cut through the shackles around the lord's body. Shen pressed together his lips when his broken limbs were moved. Also the cord around his beak. A hand petted his head.

"Shen? Are you okay?" Po asked.

The peacock moved his lips, but all what he could give was a moan.

"Okay, don't worry. I will bring you back."

Gently Po laid his hands under the lord's body. He winced when Shen strained his muscles. Carefully, he picked him up and went back the way which they had come.

* * *

Shen balled his hands while he lay in Po's arms. With every step, he felt more and more a surge of anger on that panda. With anger, he lifted his heal foot.

"Ho, ho!"

Po almost fell when Shen clawed his claws in his belly.

"Don't worry. We are almost there," Po said with worried voice.

Shen had no more force to resist and let fall himself in weakness.

* * *

Shen was half unconscious when they reached the old house again.

The goat was waiting in front of it and gave a worried cry when she saw Shen in the panda's arms.

"Good gracious! How is he?"

Po held him more down in his hands. "I don't know. He didn't say a word."

The soothsayer lay a hand on his forehead. Shen pressed his eyes together. His head still ached because of his wound.

The goat looked into his half open eyes. He seemed to feel more in save in her near, but he would never admit.

"Bring him back to bed," she said finally.

Po walked inside and put the lord back in his bed and covered him with the blanket.

Shen breathed heavily. He blinked. Po smiled, but all what he got was a grim look.

"You are such a stupid creature - panda," Shen muttered with weak voice. "Very stupid."

The lord became weaker and slowly he closed his eyes while murmured again and again the last words, until he drifted off to sleep.

"So stupid," he muttered in his sleep.

Wordless the panda and the goat watched him with worried glances.

Finally, the goat went to him and controlled his body. Shen was too exhausted to wake up. At least the injuries weren't worse, but he had a little relapse. After she took care of him, she turned around.

"Let him sleep," she whispered.

Po nodded sadly and together they left him.

* * *

Silently they sat by the fire and didn't speak a word, until the goat broke the silence.

"What's in your head, panda?"

Po sighed deeply. "I don't know. I don't know what to do."

Suddenly Po jumped up and stood in attack position when he had heard a noise, but it was just a grasshopper.

"You are nervous, aren't you?" she asked.

Po snorted. "It's not safe here anymore," he muttered.

The goat nodded slowly. "We have to go somewhere else."

Po looked at her sadly. "You are anxious about him, aren't you?"

The goat sighed. "He had been such a good boy before he became..."

She interrupted herself and stroke with her cane on the floor.

Po petted over his chin. "We need a place to stay... for a while..."

"We can't stay here until tomorrow," she murmured. "We have to disappear now."

"Yes, yes, yes... but where... where... maybe..."

Po snapped his fingers.

* * *

Shen was still sleeping. But when Po touched him, he opened his eyes immediately.

Shen sat up in the bed. "W-wha-t do you want?" Shen stuttered, but then he cleaned his throat and his voice became darker. "What do you want, panda? You won't get any thanks from me."

Po swallowed down an angry word and tried to explain.

"Shen. We thought it would be the best to find another place to stay."

Shen snorted with disgust. "And why?"

Po looked at him with surprise. "Why? Uh... well, it's too dangerous here."

"Why do you care?" Shen asked with narrowed eyes.

Po covered his head. "Why, why, why? You are in danger. We are worried."

Shen laughed. "You? You are only worried that someone kills me before you can do. Don't you?"

Po stood there with open mouth.

"Shen!" the goat tried now. "He is right. We can't stay here. They could come back."

Shen snorted again. Maybe she was worried about him, but he wasn't a child.

"I'm not afraid!"

"That's no question of being afraid or not. Shen, it's about your life."

"My life should end days ago." His glance fell at Po. "Before you came."

Po cried a "Hey!" but the goat tapped him with her stock before he could speak more.

"End of discussion!" She cried.

Shen widened his eyes with surprise. He had never heard her like this. But he wasn't ready to give up.

"I can handle it alone."

"Shen, not in your condition. We will go away, whether you like it or not."

The lord hissed. "You can't force me."

* * *

"Let me down! Let me down!"

It was almost late in the morning. The sun had already left the horizon. Haze lay above the wide forest. They walked down the forest street. Po first, on his shoulder the lord, wrapped in the blanket to cover his featherless body parts and Shen wasn't happy about his situation.

Again and again he tried to come down and hit the panda with his right arm. "Damnation! Let me down!"

Po had surprised that someone like Shen could curse so badly, but he didn't put him down.

Shen hissed angrily and looked at the goat who went behind them.

"Do something!"

But the goat shook her head. "Sorry Shen, but I stay out of this."

"You damn goat! I'm ordering you to say something. Tell him he should let me go!"

"Sorry, you discharged me."

"You damn old goat!"

"Ho hey," Po cried and stopped. "I think, we don't have to go the whole way."

Not far away had appeared a cart.

"I think we will have it easier."

* * *

It wasn't long and all three sat on the cart between wooden boxes with vegetables.

The peacock was ready to flee again but shortly after he lay he became weak again. Shen was too tired to stay awake. And no long and he slept.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but suddenly...

"HHHEEEYYY!"

All were so shocked about Po's cry that the cart stopped abruptly.

"Are you crazy?!" Shen cried.

"Look!" Po pulled Shen's arm and pointed ahead, where some houses were visible.

"Look, this is my village," Po said with proud voice.

Shen was unimpressed. He narrowed his eyes with a nauseated glance. "Nice. And what now?"

Po became unsure. "Uh... now? Ehm... we will look for a place for you to hide."

"And where should this place be? In a prison?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Po laughed and wrapped an arm around the peacock. Shen pushed him away immediately again.

"No hugs! Alright?!" he warned.

"Oh, okay, okay. No hugs. I get it!" Po winked at him and the cart drove down the hill.


	16. Royal visit

The cart stopped. Not far away from Po's home in a backstreet.

Po and the goat climbed down first. But Shen hesitated.

"Come on," Po said and waved his hand.

Shen looked around. He seemed to be unsure.

"Don't worry. It's innocuous here."

The lord hissed. He didn't want to be like a coward.

Slowly and carefully, he didn't want to break something more, he pulled himself to the cart verge.

Po held his hands to hold him, but Shen rapped him over his knuckles.

"Don't touch me!" he said maliciously. "Never touch me, or I will...

"Yes, yes, yes. You would kill me, nice. But you have no other choice."

Again he reached his hand, but Shen pushed it away.

"Panda! Are you deaf? It was never my will to come here to that..." He looked around with a disgusted glance. "... to that dump of a collection of houses."

"Ooookay," Po said drawled. "My name is Po."

Before Shen could speak more, Po took him with his hands quickly and transported him down.

"Let me down! Damn! Let me down!" Shen shouted.

"Shen! Be quiet!" the goat warned. "Shen, think about, you aren't an unknown person to some people here. Do you want that they find you?"

Shen narrowed his eyes dangerously. Po swallowed heavily when the dangerous eyes met him.

"You better not think to betray me!"

"That wasn't my plan!" Po avouched.

Shen snorted. "A likely story."

"Boys!"

Both looked at the soothsayer.

"Please, take the chance and avoid that somebody see you."

"Yes, she is right," Po admitted. "I will bring him into my room."

He interrupted himself. "Is it okay for you?"

Shen said nothing, just sulking.

The goat nodded. "Alright. I will stay in near."

"Don't you want to come with us?" Po asked surprised.

"We shouldn't take a risk. I think it's the best."

She turned around.

"Uh... eh...," Po stuttered. "But what if..."

The goat gave him a warm smile. "I don't think that he will do something. Won't you?"

She gave Shen a warning look.

Shen snorted and avoided her glance. And the goat interpreted it as a "yes."

* * *

On tiptoes Po walked with Shen along the house wall where he slipped through the back door.

He looked around the corner. "Alright, no making a noise."

"Spare your stupid monologues," Shen muttered angrily.

"Alright," Po hissed quietly and continued walking. Not far away and he would reach his old room.

"Po?"

Po grew stiff.

"Uh,... hi dad."

Shen opened his eyes wide with surprise. "Dad?"

"Po!"

Mr. Ping ran at him and wrapped him with his arms. Po put Shen on the floor quickly before Mr. Ping would hurt his broken limbs with his wild hug.

"Po! Po! Why didn't you say you would come home?! I have heard you had some problems. I had worried. Why didn't you send me a message? I was going to..."

"PSssssshh!" Po whispered loudly. "Dad, keep quiet. Nobody has to know that I'm back now."

Mr. Ping was so confused that he let open his mouth. In this state his eyes wandered at Shen.

"And who is that?"

"Uh, it's... uh... he is..."

"How can you be his father?" Shen asked skeptically.

Mr. Ping smiled. "Well, maybe not biological, but he is for me like a son."

Shen looked from one to another. Then he began to laugh. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, that's a complete joke! I can't help feeling sorry for you, panda."

Mr. Ping gasped for air.

"It's okay, dad," Po tried to rescue the situation. "He is... he doesn't know such things... He comes from good family. He can't understand unusual things."

"From a good family?" Mr. Ping asked curiously.

"Yes, he is a ruler, and a... a prince, I think."

"OH, royal visit!?"

"Shhhh! Dad, don't tell it to the others. That's a secret. Top secret."

"Oh, alright. I understand. Well..."

The goose stretched his wings for a warm welcome.

"My house is available for you. Including breakfast, lunch and dinner!"

Shen sized him up and stood there emotionless. Just a grumpy trace covered softly his face.

Po laid his hand on Mr. Ping's shoulders. "Thanks dad. He will stay in my room. He needs a lot of repose. He was attacked by... uh... robbers."

"Aha, I understand. While you were coming home, you saved him on your way. That's my brave son!"

With that Mr. Ping walked away and hurried through a door. But before he disappeared, he turned around.

"Make yourself at home. Po's friends are always my friends."

Shen winced perplexedly.

* * *

Shen's face became more perplexed when he saw the room.

Empty old soup bowls lay on the shelves, poster of Kung Fu warriors hung on the walls, including drawn pictures of ugly animals, perforated with throwing stars.

Shen scrunched his nose. For his taste, it was very primitive. Suspiciously he stared at the panda, who stretched out his arms invitingly.

"Ta-da! This is my room!"

Silence was the only answer.

Po looked around and picked up something.

"Uh... sorry for the mess."

Hurriedly he cleared away the throwing stars. Then he waved his hands over his bed. "Here you can sleep."

Shen kept still silent. He only looked at him.

"Anything wrong?"

Shen narrowed his eyes. "Friends?"

"Uh, well, I couldn't say, no. It was just for..."

Shen made a step forward quickly with angry face. "We will never be friends! Get it?"

"Okay, I get it."

He watched the peacock who let drift his glance. "How can he be your father? Isn't that a little humiliating for you?" he asked with niggly voice.

"Humiliating? Oh, no, no, no. He welcomed me and took care of me, when I was an orphan. But I have to admit I know since of late that he isn't my real father."

Shen smirked. "You are so pitiful. What should that be for a society? A bird and a panda? That's so stupid crazy."

Po sighed and walked to the stairs. "I will go now."

"Where are you going to go?" Shen asked skeptically.

"Well, I have to go back to the Jade Palace to show I'm still okay."

"And more?"

"What about...? Oh, yes, don't worry. I will not tell about you."

"I advise you not to do it."

Po forced a smile. "Well... take a rest. I will come back soon. And, feel like home... and don't worry. Everything will come alright."

With that, he disappeared. Shen waited until he heard him on the street. He looked out of the window where Po ran down the street.

He snorted. "So much filled with wrong optimism."

He looked around and his glance fell on the bed. There he should sleep? He should sleep where the dirty panda used to sleep every night?

Yuck!

Distastefully Shen threw the bed blanket away.

He winced. There were footsteps on the stairs which came up.

The lord looked around hurriedly. He couldn't use his broken wing. He looked for throwing stars. He picked them up with his right hand and was ready to...

"Hello sir!"

Mr. Ping's head looked into the room.

Shen hid the throwing star in his hand with angry glance.

"Hi," he answered shortly. "What do you want?"

"Oh, sorry to bother you, but I thought an important personality needs more comfort."

With that Mr. Ping dragged some mattresses behind himself.

"These are soft and very backbone- and skin-protecting. You can sleep there like an emperor."

"Nice, but I..."

"Oh please sir. It will be an honor for me to content you."

Shen didn't know what to say, but he nodded, still with angry face. This goose was as naive as his hypocritical "son".

Mr. Ping stretched out the mattresses and put on fresh blankets and pillows.

"So here you can take a seat."

The lord hesitated a moment, but then he moved. With effort, he sat down. He had to admit, it was really much better than the last bed. Mr. Ping smiled that his guest seemed to be satisfied.

"I will bring you something to eat."

With these words, Mr. Ping turned around and stepped down the stairs. But before he disappeared, he looked back at him. "And welcome in my house. Recommend us. We have the best restaurant in this village."

He was gone.

Shen sat on the mattresses and didn't know what he should do now. Never someone treated him like that. Usually he was the one who had to give orders what others would never do voluntarily. Including to bring him food and a place to sleep.

He yawned and slowly he lay down. Maybe he should relax a moment. Just a moment...

After a while he fell asleep.


	17. Of course not!

With hollow feeling in his stomach, Po walked up the long stairway to the Jade Palace. He couldn't tell Shifu that Shen was in the village. But how long should he withhold it? Or more, how long would it be possible? Would Shen be silent for a long time? How long would be this long time?

"Okay, don't panic, don't panic, Po," he soliloquized. "Everything will be okay, everything will be okay."

Suddenly he froze. Was it a good idea that he let Shen alone with his dad? Should he better tell his dad that Shen was more or less a nervous person...

"STOP WALKING!"

Po cried and raised his hands with shock. He had almost reached the last tier.

"Okay! Okay!" Po screamed. "I agree! I agree! It was a bad idea, very bad idea!"

He looked around to find the voice which had screamed at him.

His mouth kept open when he saw gorillas and rhinos on the Jade Palace wall. With spears, bows and arrows they aimed their weapons at the frozen panda.

"Uh,... hello guys!" Was all what Po knew to say and waved with one hand.

At this moment, the big gate was opened and more gorilla and rhino soldiers came out.

Po didn't know what to make of this. Should he attack or wait? Who were these guys?

His big question got an answer when Shifu appeared between them.

"Po!" he said with surprise.

"Master Shifu!"

Po ran at him and wrapped his arms around the little master.

The soldiers became nervous, but Shifu raised his hand. "It's okay, he is one of us."

Po released him. "One of us? Who are they?"

Shifu took up an attitude. "Po, they came to the protection for our visitors. The gorillas from the valley area, and the rhinos from the mountain area. Both soldiers of the two nations which fought before they came to our village a long time ago."

Po understood. "Ohhhhh, yes! Now I understand."

He looked around and eyed everyone. "Wow, they are much bigger than I thought. Hey, is everything in order?"

"Po!"

Po turned around. A feeling of happiness overcame him when he saw his five friends.

"Hey! I missed you!"

Po wrapped his arms around them.

Shortly after they fired him with questions.

"What happened, Po?" Viper asked.

"Yes, Mantis said you had some troubles," Monkey said.

Po realized Mantis on his head. "Oh, Mantis! You are okay?! I'm so relieved."

Tigress kept most calm and watched her friend with a worried look. "Po, what exactly happened? What about Shen?"

"Yes, what about Shen?" Mantis asked curiously.

Po became silent. "Uh, with Shen? Well, guys, that's a long story... I mean..."

"Po!" Shifu interrupted him. "Where have you been?"

Shifu's voice wasn't very friendly like from his friends.

"Where I have been?" Po repeated the question. "Uh, well, where should I be? I mean, I'm here before I was somewhere else, wasn't I?"

He forced a smile, but this didn't satisfy Shifu.

"While you were somewhere else, a representative came with the soldiers and waited impatiently."

Po got big eyes. "When? Where?"

"Now."

Po turned around. A gazelle with twirly horns stood in front of him. He was slim and wore a gray, golden robe.

"How long do we have to wait here until the host welcomes us with honor? It's very impolite!"

"How I said," Shifu said calmer. "He was on a very, very important mission."

"I didn't ask you, Mister Shifu" the gazelle answered surly.

"It calls "Master" Shifu," Shifu muttered.

"What was it?"

"Nothing, nothing," Shifu answered quickly.

The gazelle snorted. "So much more important than this event?"

Po forced a smile. "No, sorry I didn't want to..."

"Whatever," the gazelle interrupted and eyed him. "So you are the Dragon Warrior?"

Maybe he had another picture of a Dragon Warrior in his mind before he saw Po.

"Uh... yes, yes, yes. I'm Po, and you?"

"Po!" Shifu hissed angrily.

But the gazelle was faster. "My name is Gong, representative of both nations. Don't make jokes about this name, if you please!"

"Oh, okay, yes, no jokes. Your name is really nice..."

"Yes, yes. We have to do many important things. All has to be perfect before our leaders come. And one mistake... just one mistake and there is a war."

Po stood stiffly there, but then he smiled. "Ah, yes, I know. I made a presentation in my school..."

"Po!" Master Shifu said. "Could I talk to you in private?"

Gong raised his eyebrows. "Now? Why now? We have much more important..."

"It's important for the security," Shifu said and pulled Po away.

Gong snorted. "What rough mores here are."

Shifu guided Po into a room where they could talk alone. Beside the furious five which were allowed to come inside.

When the door was closed, Shifu turned at Po.

"PO!" the red panda spoke with louder voice. "I'm asking you this question, and I await that you answer this question faithfully."

He came closer. Po felt uncomfortable.

"Yes Master?"

"Where is Shen?"

Po swallowed.

"What? Shen? OH, Shen, now I know what you mean. Well, the point is this... I'm embarrassed... but I have to admit...ehm, that..."

Shifu narrowed his eyes.

"...that I lost him."

"You lost him?" Monkey asked with surprise.

Po turned around to them. "Of course, I mean, he is a strong fighter. He escaped from me like the last time, you remember."

"But Mantis said, that he was injured," Tigress said.

"And you disappeared with him," Crane added.

"Yes, yes, of course he was," Po said quickly, while he was thinking about a good contention. "But, it was, he was, I was..."

Po taxed his brain. Where were the ideas when he needed them?

"Mister Shifu!" The voice of Gong called.

Shifu winced. "I'm coming!"

He pointed at Po threateningly. "Po! I'm warning you! If something happens... be sure... there will be no mercy for you! If you spared Shen..."

"Who? Me? No, I don't have. Really not! Of course not!"

Po smiled widely. But it was a forced smile.

And Shifu saw it. "Be warned, Po," the red panda warned. "It's the best for all, that he doesn't keep alive."

With that, he disappeared. Po looked after him. "Don't worry, Master Shifu," he said loudly. "You can be sure that nothing will happen."

Never in his life Po had so bad stomach ache after a lie like now.


	18. The alluring smell of soup

Shen woke up with headaches. He groaned and sat up slowly. His head was spinning and he lay down again.

He sighed deeply. Dozing he tried to order his thoughts. It had happened so much. He felt a little helpless and he hated that feeling. That panda had him in his grip. How could he be so stupid? When he had seen him the first time he seemed to be like an idiot. That should be the one who should defeat him? What a joke.

Suddenly he lifted his head. There were footsteps on the wooden stairs. He tensed his muscles. His bandaged wing on the blanket and his right arm lifted. Who was there? How long did he sleep? Was the panda coming back?

He winced when a head was appearing.

"Oh, you are awake," Mr. Ping said and climbed up the last step. In his hands he held a bowl.

"You slept so deep I didn't want to wake you up, but now... I think you are hungry."

He put the bowl on a little chair. Shen looked at it. The bowl had filled with steaming soup with a spoon inside.

"Enjoy your meal," Mr. Ping said friendly and went away. "If you need something more, call me."

He walked down the stairs.

Shen sat on the bed and didn't know what to say or to do. Just staring at the soup.

He sniffed mistrustfully. He had to admit it didn't smell bad, but maybe it was poisoned.

Did Po tell him that he had murdered his parents?

Shen grimaced. His stomach rumbled because of that smell.

He pushed the bowl aside and lay his head down on the pillow again. But the smell which filled the room tempted him. It wandered through his nose and through his head and let come pictures of delicious food.

His hands cramped. He couldn't stand it anymore.

What should he do? Maybe tipping away.

With effort the lord stood up, took the bowl carefully to avoid spilling it on the floor and hobbled to the window. He looked down. Nobody was in the yard. He raised the bowl and wanted to tip it away, but suddenly...

He winced. A pig in the neighboring house, who was watering his plants, looked at him with big eyes.

Shocked Shen threw the cape about his head and stumbled back.

Did he recognize him?

Impossible, nobody had seen him before here. But there were not many white peacocks in the world. Sometimes the through he was the only one. He wrapped his brown "robe" closer around his body, still not knowing what he should do with the soup.

His glance wandered back on the still filled soup bowl. Why didn't he eat something in the morning?

He put the bowl back on the little chair, sat himself down on the mattress and looked grimly at the damn soup and philosophized.

Was it poisoned or not? Why should the goose do that? Revenge or not? It would be logical, but otherwise, honestly, he couldn't imagine.

Suddenly he had an idea.

"Hey! Come over here!"

He didn't wait long.

"You called me, sir?" Mr. Ping asked.

Shen didn't answer his question and pointed at the soup. "Don't you think pepper is absent? Or salt?"

Mr. Ping became pale. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know... sorry, I didn't want to offer you. I will correct it."

With these words, he took the bowl and ran down the stairs.

"No! I..."

But Mister Ping was already gone.

Shen growled angrily. He wanted that the goose tastes it in front of his eyes. Now he couldn't control whether he was going to taste it and he wouldn't fall dead.

No long time and Mr. Ping came back. "So, sir. I hope it was made for your entire satisfaction."

Shen hissed. Now he wanted to know it.

"Taste it," he ordered.

Mr. Ping looked at him with surprise.

"Why should I, sir?"

Now Shen became more distrustful than before. "Taste it now!"

"I should taste it before you eat? Why didn't you tell me that in the first place? Oh, of course, it has to be practiced in your family. You have to be very careful, don't you? Well, sir, it will be a pleasure for me to serve you."

He took another spoon, filled it with soup and let it disappear in his mouth.

"Tastes delicious," Mr. Ping said happily.

Shen narrowed his eyes. "Well, then, disappear."

"Oh, for sure. Enjoy your meal."

With that Mr. Ping left him.

Shen was still unsure.

Why didn't he take the same spoon? Or took the goose an antidote?

Shen sighed when his stomach rumbling became louder.

Maybe he could test a very little drop.

He took the spoon. He sniffed the soup in the spoon, but he couldn't smell a kind of poison.

He took a deep breath. "Well, then..."

He opened his mouth and a very, very little drop dropped on his tongue.

The peacock closed his mouth and tasted the soup drop very intense.

He swallowed. He waited for an effect. Nothing happened. He wanted to wait longer, but the aftertaste in his mouth infatuated his mind. It wandered through his head and his eyes became bigger for more.


	19. Unplanned visit

Po looked around. It was almost in the dusk. Nobody was near.

Gong had caught them with his plans, suggestions and advice for the festival the whole day. Po's head still ached because of all these many words which still echoed through his head.

Carefully, he left the gate of the Jade Palace and went on tiptoes to the stairs.

"Po?"

Po froze. Slowly he turned around. "Uh, yes?"

He forced a smile when he was seeing his friends.

"Are you okay?" Tigress asked.

"Where do you want to go?" Viper asked the next question.

"Uh, don't I have to do anything? I wanted to go to my dad. He wanted to tell me something," was all what Po came first into his mind.

"Again father-son things?" Mantis asked, too.

"Yes, something similar," Po walked backwards. "See you the..."

He lost the balance and fell down the stairs. His friends looked behind him where the panda rolled down in fast pace.

* * *

Po rubbed his aching body when he reached the end of the long stairs. He didn't have to walk long until his dad's restaurant. He heard voices from far way. The restaurant had filled with people and Mr. Ping was busy to serve the customers.

"Hi, dad," Po greeted when Mr. Ping passed him.

"Hi, Po!" Mr. Ping cried while walking. "How are you?" he continued when he was walking back to the counter.

"Well, fine..." Po scratched over his head and followed him into the kitchen. Mr. Ping filled more soup bowls with noodles, vegetables and so on.

"Uhm... dad?" Po asked quietly. "How is... our guest?"

Mr. Ping stopped a moment, then he continued his work. "Oh, he ate three bowls of soup. You should bring him more often."

Po frowned. It seemed that everything was alright.

Slowly he climbed up the stairs to his room.

Shen lay on the mattress, a hand on his belly and had closed the eyes. He looked very satisfied.

Po tried to get a closer look and made some steps forwards. But a squeaking plank let him froze.

Shen blinked and woke up immediately.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with angry voice.

Po lifted his hands. "It's all okay, but we have to be careful."

Shen lifted his head and looked at him skeptically. "What do you mean with careful?

"Well, I didn't tell, but I had the feeling that he could notice something."

"Who?"

"Po? Po?" Mr. Ping's voice called. "Someone is visiting you."

"I'm coming dad!" He looked at Shen. "We talk later."

With these words, Po walked down the stairs and reached the kitchen.

"So, dad, who's...

He choked on the word. The panda paled when he was seeing the dark face of Shifu.


	20. What is what?

Po had no words. His head was like empty. What was Shifu doing here? Did he know about...

"Oh, oh... oh! Master Shifu!" Po stuttered and stood stiffly. "Uh... what are you doing here?"

Master Shifu narrowed his eyes. "Same question for you: What are you doing here?"

"Eh... Why shouldn't I be here?" Po asked and looked with worried eyes at his dad.

Shifu snorted. "We are going to make some important arrangements for the festival and what are you doing?"

Po tapped his fingertips nervously. "I- I- I - I'm here... yes... I'm here because of my dad. We wanted to talk about the big dinner."

Mr. Ping looked with surprise. "Dinner?"

"Yessss, dad!" Po hissed emphatically. "The dinner. You know. The dinner for the festival, which you planned for your restaurant."

Mr. Ping didn't know what to say, but then he seemed to understand. "Aha. Yes, the big dinner."

Po laughed. "You see, Master Shifu. I was only planning for the festival, because for the dinner."

Shifu looked at him with an emotionless dark face. But then, he put his palms together and his face muscles relaxed and placed a soft smile on his lips. "So, so. You are making plans for the festival here."

Po smiled. "Yes, that's it what I wanted to do the whole time."

Shifu nodded warmly. "Very interesting. Very interesting. I must admit I was a little bit too skeptical. I thought you were going to hide something special from me."

"Hide?" Po showed himself surprised. "What should I hide, Master Shifu? Nothing."

"Mmmh." Shifu petted his chin. "Well, well. In this case, you allow me to take a look at your room."

Po's smile sank abruptly. "Uh... my room? Why my room?"

Shifu made his steps to the stairs. "Well, you have to understand. If our guests want to know how our Dragon Warrior lives, we should first look whether premises are good enough for a visit."

Shifu had barely touched a stair Po jumped forward and blocked the way.

"No, Master Shifu! I didn't clean my room."

"I don't mind. I know your mess."

With that, Shifu passed the panda and went upstairs.

"No, no!" Po dug his fingers into Shifu's leg. "It's a very dirty room. Really very dirty."

"I think I can live with it," Shifu replied and pulled his leg.

"But Master Shifu, Master Shifu!" Po begged and tried to hold Shifu tight. "It's a very horrible sight."

"That's enough, Po!"

Shifu released himself from Po's grip, ran up the last steps and jumped on the floor. He looked around.

Po stumbled next to him on the wooden floor. "Master Shifu! I can explain it! I..."

He choked on the word. The mattress in the room was empty.

"I... I... I mean... I can explain my room."

Po had no idea what to say and rubbed his head.

Shifu's eyes became smaller when he realized two beds in the room.

"What's that?"

"What is what?" Po was still irritated.

"This!"

Shifu pointed at the mattress on the floor.

"This? This. Oh, this! Oh, this, eh... that's eh... ah... ehm... that's my... jump mattress. I'm training a new Kung Fu jump. See."

Po climbed on his bed and jumped with a split on the mattress so that the floor quivered.

"Po!" Mr. Ping cried from the ground-floor. "What are you doing again?! Don't destroy my house!"

Po stood up and rubbed his aching legs. "I'm still working on it."

Shifu narrowed his eyes distrustingly and looked around. But he couldn't see anything. Or more, anyone.

With slow footsteps, he walked along the walls and shelves.

"What are you looking for?" Po asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure, Po," Shifu answered. "But I have the feeling that you have..."

"Mister Shifu!"

Both listened attentively. Shortly afterwards there were fast footsteps on the stairs and Gong appeared. "Mister Shifu. What are you doing here? We have to prepare so many things, and what are you doing? You abandon me in the big golden house and leave me without a word. I never saw such a bad behavior."

Master Shifu nodded apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was going to..."

"Mister Shifu!" Gong said darkly. "Do you want war?"

"No!"

Shifu jumped forward and pulled the gazelle aside to the stairs. "I will be there for you in one minute."

When Gong was gone, Shifu glanced back to Po.

"Po! The jury is still out!" he warned with a raised finger. "We will talk later."

After that Shifu disappeared.

Po sighed with relief. But where was Shen?

The panda looked around and under the bed.

Suddenly there was a rustling sound. Po turned around. In a dark corner, the lord climbed down from the ceiling. Panting the peacock landed carefully on the floor.

"I was afraid that he wouldn't disappear again," he panted.

Po looked at him with admiration. "How did you do that?"

"I'm used to be careful," Shen answered and forced a very soft smile.

But suddenly he put his hand on his face.

"Are you okay?" Po asked worried.

"Sure. I'm okay, it was just too fast..."

Shen looked exhausted. Suddenly he nutated and fainted. Po caught him in last second and held him in his arms.

"Shen? Shen?"

Po looked into his face. But Shen had closed his eyes and didn't reply. But he was still breathing.

The panda became frightened when he was seeing a shadow in front of him.

He sighed in relief. "You."

The goat smiled.

"I thought you was gone," Po whispered, still afraid, that someone could hear them.

"They went to the palace," the soothsayer said. "It will be not dangerous for him for the next few hours."

Po's glance wandered back to Shen. "He fell and..."

"Don't worry," the goat said and placed her hand on Shen's forehead. "He is just tired. And feel reassured. I'm here now."

Po didn't know for whom the words belonged.

* * *

Po watched the lord, who had done so much sin and blood on his hands. He looked so harmless in the bed. The goat was busy to control his injuries. They looked much better, but they were still too bad to let Shen win a fight.

Po cleaned his throat. "Will he ever be like he used to be?"

The goat took away a towel and wiped over Shen's broken arm. "I hope his bones will heal well. But it will never work if he moves so much."

"I will try to favor him."

"Po?" Mr. Ping came in. "That's for you."

He gave him a bowl with soup. Then he looked at Shen.

"How is he?"

"He is sleeping, but he needs more rest."

Mr. Ping petted his chin thoughtfully. "Po? Why was Shifu here? Why is there such a secret?"

Po looked like he wanted to tell him all, but then he decided to keep silent. "Don't worry, dad. I have everything under control. Don't worry."

Mr. Ping looked at his son. "Po? Be careful."

Po nodded. "I promise, dad."

They hugged each other.

"And thank you, dad."


	21. The lord's most-loved

Days passed. Shen's wounds became better and he could move his leg and wing without bad pain again. While the festival was prepared, Shen recovered from his injuries more and more and it was in part thanks to the goat's treatments that his bones healed and his feathers regrew faster than usual. Already after a week Shen could use his regrown finger feathers and over his blank body parts had regenerated little feathers. Just his caudate needed longer and had reached no more than the half-size of the original length.

Po had no much time to visit him often. He was too afraid that Shifu could find him. Shifu had still suspicious of Po, but not always fortunately and gradually he seemed to doubt. Although he appeared in patches in Po's home and Shen had to hide always until he was gone again.

Shen did his best to stay in bed. He was weary to be like an invalid. He wasn't ill, just injured. His mind was full of energy, but his body was still too weak. Despite he made from time to time movement exercises. The goat had to urge him not to exaggerate it.

Po had told him that they will not see for a few days, to be sure. Shen had no objections and Po was sure he would come clear alone for a while. Mr. Ping assured him that he would take care for him like a father.

Everything went well, until the day before the visitor rulers should come...

* * *

It was very early in the morning. The sun wasn't appeared yet and it lay a fog bell over the Village of Peace.

Shen stood up very early like often to take a morning shower. Because the place of the shower lay behind the house outdoors, Shen couldn't sojourn there while day. The risk to be seen by others accidentally was still too high.

Carefully and slowly, avoiding all sorts of noises, he walked down the stairs and came into the backyard.

He took of the brown gown and folded it on a chair meticulously. Then he positioned himself under a gutter looking bamboo cane and operated a mechanism.

Shen let run down the water his fletched body. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the refreshment. The cold water did him good and cleaned his mind. He breathed in the fresh air. It was a feeling of resurgence. He felt for soap and stroked his skin with it. The lord inhaled the new scent which was mixed with the humidified air. For a moment he thought nothing, just feeling. Sometimes it was a blessing for a soul doing nothing. A soft smile played Shen's water running wet beak. He opened his eyes and looked down at his body. Again remembering the torment many days ago, he sighed deeply. His feathers were almost recovered grown back, moved his new feather fingers, still a little small, but he could use them to do detailed movements.

He didn't know how long, but sometime he turned off the water. The water from the bamboo pipe stopped and the trickling sound of water drops filled the environment. Shen waited until he shook off them and water drops whirled him. Still wet he stretched his arms and spread his feathers. He angled for a towel and rubbed dry his feathering.

Suddenly he heard voices. He winced and pressed himself on the house wall. People were talking. Two pigs were cleaning the street.

Quickly he disappeared back in the house. He walked up the stairs to Po's room. He smiled. He felt like a little child who played hide-and-seek.

He laid himself down in his bed and dozed until the first sunbeams broke the misty shroud.

At about that time Mr. Ping brought him the breakfast.

Po wasn't at home. He overnighted in the Jade Palace.

While Shen was eating, he felt there was more life in the village than usual. When Ping cleaned the table again, Shen's glance wandered back to the window.

"It's so loud today."

"Oh, yes," Mr. Ping agreed. "Tomorrow the guests should come to our village festival."

"Seems to be a big festival."

"Oh yes, it's the story of our village. When they heard that the Dragon Warrior has appeared, they wanted to come personally. All people are so excited. Especially me, I have to organize a dinner in these few days."

"You are very proud about him, aren't you?" Shen asked more emotionless, but also a little thoughtful.

Mr. Ping sighed deeply. "Oh yes... and... well, also..."

The goose was silent and his glance looked like far away.

Shen raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Well, sure, I'm happy about him, but otherwise... I'm still thinking about what would happen if he never been the Dragon Warrior and would only help in my restaurant."

Shen's eyes grew bigger. What did that guy talk about?

"I thought he grew up in the palace."

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Mr. Ping said quickly. "Of course not. Before that, he lived with me until he became an adult, but never adult for me. He will always be my little son."

Mr. Ping sighed again. "My little Po. I have never seen that he wasn't a child anymore."

He wiped over his nose.

"I always thought to be a restaurateur would be his destiny. He loved noodles like no other. But on the other hand, he began to love Kung Fu more and more. I couldn't stop it. It became a part of him, but I thought it would be just temporary. But I was wrong. When the day came, where Oogway wanted to choose the Dragon Warrior... I said he should sell some noodles, but instead he left them and wanted to come inside the palace."

Mr. Ping smiled wistfully.

"Oh, I remember how he still sits on the chair with the firework under it. He always had such funny ideas all the time..."

Shen started to listen attentively. "What?"

"Oh, that wasn't all," Mr. Ping laughed. "You should hear what he did silly things before that with his meals..."

"No!"

Mr. Ping froze because of Shen's loud tone. "What did you talk about firework?"

"Oh, that was a very silly moment. Typical for my son. I always told him he should stop doing such dangerous things. But at least I tried..."

"Answer my question!" Shen hissed and Mr. Ping was silent. "Tell me all about the day!"

Mr. Ping cleaned his throat. "Well, all started on a normal day..."

Mr. Ping told everything what happened the day. About the so-called noodle dream, which Po never dreamed, about the announcement of the Dragon Warrior Choice, Po's tries to come into the Jade Palace, about the wonder of a falling master from the sky, where Shen listened very intently, about the festival of the Dragon Warrior and so on.

"But well," Mr. Ping finished his tale. "I have to agree. He lives his own life and I have my place here."

Suddenly Mr. Ping winced. "Oh, excuse me, I have to do so many things until tomorrow."

With that, he ran down the stairs, but Shen sat on the mattress stone-still. His eyes wide opened.

The lord was like paralyzed.

For a while he stared at the air.

Suddenly he balled his hands. An ugly feeling grew inside him.

He felt like abused.

That fat panda abused that thing what was the most beauty in his life. The firework of his family, his own creation, helped the panda to be a warrior, with his own weapon with that he wanted to rule China.

That panda beat him at their own game.

Shen inhaled several times.

Was it true? Was that what about the soothsayer talked about his damnation?

He dug his own grave. His family dug his grave. Or the universe.

No! The lord shook his head. It wasn't his own fault. It was never his fault. The fault of nothing else. It was just the fault of that panda.

He looked out of the window where he could see the Jade Palace. His eyes formed into slits. He turned around with growling sounds. Everything inside him was mixed. His emotions, his plans, his past, his future, his being, his hate...

Without thinking, Shen walked down the stairs. Mr. Ping was outside on the terrace where he adorned the tables.

Shen narrowed his eyes when a knife flashed on the kitchen table.

When Mr. Ping came back, he didn't realize the missing knife.

* * *

The peacock walked along the house walls. Nobody was on the streets. All were busy to clean their own houses. The lord halted and looked up the stairs to the Jade Palace.

He wanted to stop it, where it began.

It was his destiny.


	22. Knife edge

Shen panted heavily. It was an agony for him to climb up the stairs with his almost healed leg. But he didn't stop his way.

"You will pay for your sin," he muttered again and again.

This panda abused his lifework. The thoughts circled around his head. He couldn't stop his rage.

Gaspingly the peacock crested the last step. He was very surprised about his wheeze. He had been too long in bed.

He stood up and looked ahead. The big doors had closed.

He looked around. Along the white walls, he could try to climb. It wouldn't be the first time in his life to climb over a watched wall.

* * *

"This is so hard," Monkey whined.

Po and the others walked to the house where they wanted to eat something.

They had had a tough morning. Gong had taught them so many things about, what they should do, say or avoid when the visitors come, that their heads were spinning.

"Something wrong with you, Po?"

"Mmm?" Po looked at Tigress with surprised and shocked eyes. "Uh... no, I was just thinking about, whether I will make everything right. I mean... that's my first important official visit."

"Don't be nervous," Mantis said. "You are the Dragon Warrior."

"Yes, you will make it," Viper comforted him.

"Yes, maybe you are right," Po sighed and together they continued. Po walked a little bit slower. He had also to think about other things.

* * *

The lord felt the knife in his hand. It would be no problem for him to ram the knife deep into the panda's heart.

Not far away the panda walked behind his friends the way uphill. The peacock had hidden behind some stones and watched them carefully.

The panda was without protection. That was a chance.

Just a little bit closer.

Slowly he raised the knife.

"Hey! Who are you?!"

He winced.

Big guardians of rhinos and gorillas came closer. Shen wanted to take the last chance to throw the knife, but suddenly a tremendous rhino rammed him from the side. The knife fell clanging to the floor and disappeared between some big stones.

Shen flailed around, but after a few hits he had to interrupt. That was too much for his broken bones.

He had to break up the attack. Although it was against his pride, he had to run away. The guards followed him with loud voices.

The wall came in sight. Just few jumps and he would...

Shen screamed after two big hands grabbed him on his neck and dashed him to the ground. A weighing like tons squashed his diminutive body. The lord tried everything to stand up and struggled like crazy, but the rhino who lay on him was strong like a rock.

Several more shadows appeared. The rhino reduced his weight on him. But before Shen could start a new escape, two strong grips grabbed his arms and pressed them brutally on his back. Swords were drawn and surrounded his long neck like a sharp pliers. Shen tried few more strong movements, then he had to give up. Shen trembled of heavy panting. One of the guards took a knife and lifted his chin.

"Who are you?" he asked unfriendly. "What are you doing here?!"

Shen didn't reply.

"Lead him off."

* * *

Shifu had heard about the noise. Quickly he ran to the courtyard, where many guards had collected.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Is he from you?"

Shifu's eyes became bigger when he recognized the lord in the guard's grips.

With shame, the Kung Fu Master covered his eyes.

"PO!"

Po and his friends, who had also noticed the turmoil, stood in near. Po stood there like paralyzed in a dead body.

He became paler when Shifu's angry face looked at him.

"What did I say to you?"

Po put his fingertips together. "Uh... eh... do I have to remember?"

"You spared him!"

"No, I... I mean..."

"Shut up! We will talk later."

With a hard movement of his hand, Shifu waved over the place.

"Guards! Take him out and put him to death."

"No!" Po ran to Shifu and looked down at him imploringly and pressed his hands together. "Don't do it!"

"Po, we can't let him alive. We are allowed to execute him." He waved his hand. "Away with him!"

With that the guards dragged the lord to the exit. Shen struggled like crazy, still in hope he could release himself.

Po turned around and looked at his friends sadly. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly he jumped forward and landed with a hard crash in the middle of the yard.

All guards turned in his direction. But before someone could ask a question, Po carried out Kung Fu blows. First the guards were surprised, but then they began to fight back. But Po sent them flying like a master.

The others looked at them with open mouth, until Shifu moved his lips again.

"Contain him!"

All five friends looked at each other irritated.

"But,... but I can't fight against... Po," Monkey stuttered.

Meanwhile Po had already reached Shen, but before he could free him, Shifu gave a sign and one of the guards, who stood still free next to Shen, drew a spear. The spear stopped very close about Shen's throat. One push and it would be his last breath.

Po stopped. All movements froze.

"Po! Give up the resistance. It's pointless."

"Mister Shifu, what's all this noise?"

Gong appeared and looked at the scenario.

"Nothing for worrying. We have to do an execution."

"An execution, before the day of peace?" Gong was shocked like never before. "What sort of tradition is that?! That's a break of all traditions! That's a shame of our convention!"

Shifu lay back his ears with anger. "But we can't..."

"Mister Shifu!" Gong cut his word. "Either you can wait with your uncivilized behavior, or I have to go back to my rulers to tell them, the celebration is off."

For a moment, Shifu had no argument for this. And maybe he didn't want to risk a betrayal of trust. At least not at the moment.

All eyes stuck on him. Suddenly Shifu snapped his fingers. The spear left the peacock. Shen breathed faster like someone had released his lungs.

"Put him into the cellar and cages him."


	23. The panda's most beloved - I will kill

His body hurt like fire.

The lord narrowed his eyes.

It was cold. He hated coldness.

Around him just cold stone walls, and grids of metal rods surrounded him.

The cage wasn't very big, but not very small.

He moved his body. The guards had no few fantasies to bind a prisoner, he had to admit. He lay on a bench or something similar, shackled with robes and chains on it. The bonds were so tight that he had effort to take deep breaths. His feet were also tied, but apart with chains and a rod so that he had no chance to reach with a claw his other foot to open it somehow.

Again he moved to find a weak point in the shackles, but he couldn't find. At least his broken wing and leg were almost healed so that it didn't hurt too much. The cords hurt his almost few feathered skin, and a chain wrapped his neck. He could only move his head to the right and to the left side.

He listened attentively, when he was hearing steps. Doors were opened.

He didn't look to the side, but he realized two shadows out from the corner of his eye.

A hrumph made him to look at them. His hate-filled eyes watched Shifu, but his most hateful glance was directed at Po.

Shifu crossed his arms on his back, only looking at the lord, who gave no word.

"We decided that you stay here until the Kung Fu Masters of Gongmen City come to take you away. And be sure, they will give you no abatement."

The lord snorted and a nasty evil smile crossed his lips. "Abatement would be an insult for my dignity."

Master Shifu narrowed his eyes angrily. The pride of this lord annoyed him.

"They will arrive tomorrow in the night."

He turned around, but Po didn't move. Obviously Shifu had given him a good telling-off.

"Po, you come with me."

The panda sighed, but he agreed. "Yes, Master. I'm coming with you."

* * *

Many hours passed. Shen had closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. But it was almost only silence, just soft blows of winds and others which he didn't want to know.

Suddenly, other sounds drown out the silence and no long time the door was opened.

Shen didn't look. He knew that kind of steps.

The footsteps stopped beside the cage and silence fell again.

Po sighed deeply and scratched his head nervously.

"Mmm... I..." Po searched for words. "I'm so..."

"No, panda," Shen cut his word with serenity. "Maybe it's my destiny. It was a mistake to try hiding."

Po lowered his face. "I only wanted to help you. I never wanted to make it worse."

"I know, panda."

Po was a little surprised about the lord's calmness, but he didn't want to ask the reason.

Silence filled the atmosphere and downed the urge of speaking, until Shen cut it like a sword in Po's ears.

"But, could you do me a little favor?"

"Of course I will!" Po said like a shot.

The lord lifted his head a little and tried to move. "The bonds are very tight. Could you loosen them a little at least?"

The smile left the panda's face.

"Anything wrong?"

"No, it's just... Master Shifu forbad me to open the cage for any reason."

Shen sighed and let sink his head. "My wing is hurting very terribly," he whimpered. "Do you want to refuse my last will?"

Po pressed his lips together, he was near to tears. "Well... well... I mean... if it will make you glad..."

"It would."

Po struggled with himself. He cursed himself for his taciturnity. But at the moment, he found no better fodder of conversation to change the topic. Maybe the question of why he came to the palace. But this had no meaning for him at the moment. The lord of Gongmen and the murderer of his parents was close to his death and he could do nothing to change his way. Not for him, not anyway. Maybe he could ask the soothsayer for something.

"What is it now?" the lord's word brought him back.

"Oh, yes, yes..."

Po grabbed the keys which hang beside the door of the cell. He will do the favor and after that think about a plan.

After he had opened the cage, he closed the door behind him again.

"Do you have so little trust in me?" Shen asked with reproach.

"Eh... no... sorry, it's just... Never mind."

He opened the cage door and left it ajar. Then he turned his attention back on the lord.

"Okay..."

Po had no idea where he should loosen the shackles first.

"Maybe you could begin with the rod on my feet," Shen said, when he was realizing Po's question filled face. "My leg is still not so good as I thought."

"Oh, of course."

Po walked at the end of the lord and opened the rod with one of the keys.

"And the chain around my body. It hurts the most."

Po hesitated. But Shen was still bounded enough with the rope. It would not be a problem. He put the key into the padlock and opened it.

"Is it better now?" Po asked.

"Yeeeesss..." Shen hissed long and suddenly he slipped out of the shackles like through hot butter. Po was so surprised that he looked at him speechlessly. A hard slap hit the panda's face.

"It's really better!" Shen yelled. Before Po could make a move, the lord jumped at him, his claws on the panda's throat.

"Ouch! Hey, what are you doing?" Po cried, trying to push him away, but Shen dug his claws very deep into the thick fur. Instead he bent down and looked at the panda with rage filled eyes.

"You will pay for your sin!"

Po didn't understand. "What are you talking about...?"

Suddenly loud alarming screams yelled through the halls. Apparently one of the guards had heard the noises. No long and two rhinos appeared. Shen smiled darkly. Two guards weren't a problem for him. His new collected forces incited him to top form. One of the rhinos wanted to grab him, but Shen avoided his grip. He dashed along and ran out of the cage.

"Stop him!"

A gorilla and another rhino appeared in the corridor. But Shen evaded them like a lightning. Even he still felt pain in his limbs, his will of escaping killed the suffering. With fast movements he passed the guards and reached the stairs, which went upstairs. More guards ran inside the cellar. But the peacock outwitted them like a soft white strong towel. And no long time his lungs breathed fresh night air.

All the time, the guards screamed in alarm. But the giants had no chance against the swift dexterity of the white bird.

Suddenly Shen stopped. In front of him the abyss of the village. Sheer rock walls presented the deep of the valley.

And from the left and from the right, the guards ran at him. Shen didn't think long. He took his brown robe, covered his body with it in a special way and walked a few steps back.

"He is going to jump!" a guard's voice yelled not far away.

Shen took a run and jumped into the dark deep. At the last second before the hands could reach him. In fast speed, the white lord sailed down.

Po could only see that he disappeared in the night.

"Po!" The voice of Tigress cried. "What have you done?"

"Uh... nothing..."

He was still in shock. Without a reply, he ran down the stairs of the mountain. He didn't want to get caught by Shifu. He had to reach the valley before big troubles came.

* * *

The ground came closer and closer. There was a meadow. With fast movement, Shen spread the robe and his wings. With hard slithering, he came to a hold. He fell and his face landed on wet grass.

Quickly he stood up. His body had covered with grass and dirt and some abrasions, but it wasn't bad.

He looked back, where he could see the mountain of the Jade Palace. The village wasn't far away from him.

The lord snorted. He lost the panda. But there was still another chance to hurt him very deeply.

* * *

Shen panted exhausted. He had to be fast. It must have to go fast. Just about the bridge over the river and few streets more. The streets were empty. No soul walked in the night.

Shen stopped. His glance looked at the noodle restaurant. His eyes formed into slits.

"I will kill what you love the most."


	24. The other future

Carefully and slowly Shen opened the door to the kitchen, where light was still burning.

Mr. Ping stood in front of the worktop and hashed vegetables. Shen didn't want to attack him in surprise. He liked it more to see his victims into their faces at the critical moment.

Slowly he opened the door wider and walked in quietly like a cat on the prowl. When he almost reached him, he scratched with his claws on the flagged-floor.

Mr. Ping turned his face in his direction and winced.

"Oh! Sir! I had worried about you! Why did you disappear? Po said, it would be a bad idea for you to go outside!"

Shen narrowed his eyes into slits. A wintry smile crossed his mouth. "There is no reason anymore to hide me."

Mr. Ping looked at him in surprise. "Is that so?"

The goose looked around. "Where is Po?"

The lord grinned with mischief. "He will come very soon."

_Very soon... but I hope not too soon._

Mr. Ping opened his eyes with shock.

Shen didn't know about what he was afraid. Did he reveal himself somehow?

"Oh, dear me! You are dirty and... You are bleeding!"

Shen looked down at himself. Indeed, the crash had scraped his knees a little.

Mr. Ping ran around like a crazy man. "A royal guest of my house has to receive medical attention!"

For the lord's irritation, the goose grabbed his arm and pulled him to a little stool.

"Sit down."

Shen didn't contradict and sat down, while Mr. Ping ran away to bring materials for wound cleaning.

In clenched position, Shen looked at his scratched knees.

_You will see more blood soon._

Mr. Ping came back, put a box on the floor and got out wound cleansing tissues and a bottle with a liquid. Shen hissed sharply. The liquid hurt badly, when Mr. Ping was cleaning the wounds. Suddenly he winced. In the sink lay a cleaned knife.

"I had to take care for Po like this very often," Mr. Ping said. "In his childhood, he did so many crazy things. That's it. I don't think it will inflame."

Mr. Ping turned around and put the box away.

Shen's glance wandered back to the knife. Now it was the chance. Who knew how long the panda would be away yet.

"Oh yes," Mr. Ping continued in thoughts and walked back to his workplace. "I still remember how he came into my restaurant. As a little baby. A little baby panda."

Shen looked back at the knife. The goose was hacking the vegetables again and had turned his back on him.

_It's now or never._

Slowly he picked up the knife and wrapped his fletched fingers closely around the knife handle. Gradually he walked with slowly footsteps at the goose.

At this moment Mr. Ping turned around and was face to face with the lord and a knife in his hands.

Shen smiled devilishly. This was the moment where he would beg for mercy.

"Oh, thank you."

With these words, Mr. Ping took the knife, without fear. Shen was so irritated that he opened the mouth speechlessly. Mr. Ping didn't think about it anymore and put the cleaned knife into a box.

"Yes, I was a handyman. I had to feed him, bathe him... I was mother and father in one. It wasn't very easy for me to take care of him. He ate so much. I can imagine, you had no problems with such a topic. What about your parents?"

Shen winced a moment. His face like stone.

"They aren't alive anymore," he answered emotionless. Bitterness lay in his voice.

_How shall I kill him now?_

Mr. Ping put his hand on his beak with regret. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Shen shook his head with disgust and snorted. "Why should it?"

"Well, it's very sad if parents die, doesn't it?"

Shen avoided his glance. He didn't want to answer.

Mr. Ping sighed deeply and skewered his knife on the wooden countertop.

"Po lost his parents many years ago, too."

Shen narrowed his eyes more. "I know."

"Oh, he told you?"

"Yeesss," Shen became nervous. "He told me, I know every detail."

Dark shadows lay on his featured on his face.

"How died your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"An accident?"

"No," Shen answered annoyed. "It has been just a... because... a bad guy murdered them."

_The panda killed them! Yes, he killed them indirectly._

Mr. Ping eyed the lord and realized a sadness in his face.

"You loved your parents, didn't you?"

Shen blinked. "Not really."

"But your parents loved you, didn't they?"

"Stop talking, is that understood?!"

Mr. Ping closed his mouth anxiously.

The lord sighed internally. He already had put the past behind himself, but there were still old memories with irritated emotions.

"Well, Po is not my real son," Mr. Ping continued. "But I still love him like my own. Oh, by the way, I have to think about something..."

He ran to a shelf and took some photos out.

"Here, this is a picture with me and Po, where we are eating noodles. Here, he is sitting on my lap. Oh, and here I was bathing him. Oh, and here..."

"Well, very nice," Shen cut his word and pushed the photos away. "Every creature in this world has a cute side before he becomes a revenger."

"Pardon? I don't understand."

Shen put his wings together and looked at the goose with ominous glance. "I could imagine he would take revenge for his parents' death. And to kill the murderer of them."

Mr. Ping put the photos away angrily.

"No, he would never do something like that. He is the noblest, honorable who I know."

Shen snorted in disbelief. "Don't be silly. Everyone would take bloody revenge for this."

"Not Po!" Mr. Ping said with firmly voice. "He would never..."

"OH, of course not!" Shen's voice became more mockingly. "The great Dragon Warrior, all in all just a little innocent. But behind the dark mask a cruel black soul."

Mr. Ping had no idea what he should say and watched the peacock with big eyes.

"The "Dragon Warrior", doesn't know how it is to be born as a bad omen, just because of another color. And how hard it is to work for his success in dirt and isolation. He has no knowledge about how it is to be a fool in the eyes of others."

Silence fell. Mr. Ping didn't reply and looked outside through the big window of his restaurant deep in thoughts.

"Po had had the same troubles."

Shen winced in surprise and irritation.

"The panda? But, but he is...," Shen shied away from saying the word. "A he-ro... for you."

"From time to time, Po had problems to be accepted from others. Especially after he became the Dragon Warrior. He had no talent for Kung Fu. His friends gave him a hard time."

Mr. Ping sighed deeply.

"I still remember how he came one night back to my home, and, I will never forget, he was so sad and depressed that it he wasn't successful to be a great Kung Fu Warrior."

Shen blinked.

"Never in my life, I saw so much sadness in him. And I... I was such a bad father that I didn't tell him the truth about his real parents. Instead, I talked about a noodle meal."

Mr. Ping sobbed a little and wiped over his nose. Then he took a deep breath. "But he never gave up! And he didn't need to use scummy tricks to reach his target. Now he is a son, about I can say, I'm proud about him."

Shen's face muscles twitched a little.

"But...," Mr. Ping remembered. "There was also another time where he was sad like similar. After a won fight against a ruler... no, maybe a lord, his name was... Zeng... Zong... no, not sure. I forget his name. I remember like yesterday. One night, we were eating noodles together. He talked about the adventure in a town which called Gongmin or similar. But at the end of his tale, he talked, that he had wished, that the ruler had found a better end."

Shen raised his nose and snorted with trembling lips. "Maybe he was sad that he hadn't the chance to kill him with his own hands."

Mr. Ping shook his head slowly. "No, it was a more than this."

"He was angry, wasn't he?"

"No, it was pity."

Shen gasped for air with disgust. "Pity?"

"He said, the ruler seemed to be a bad guy, but even he had murdered his parents, he thought, that he has been a poor person, who never turned his future to make it into a success. A soothsayer had told him that. If he had changed his bad way, maybe he would be still alive and be a great ruler. That's what she had seen as an alternative future. But... I never believe such a hocus-pocus. Well, not often."

Mr. Ping sighed again. "Oh, but what am I saying? I have to finish the meal for tomorrow. Oh, oh, this will be a day."

Shen looked at him with silent look. Then he made a few steps forward.

* * *

Po's lungs ached. After he had begun to run down the stairs, he had rolled down. But he had rolled in the wrong direction. It had cost him a lot of time to run back to the right way.

Panting and exhausted, he reached the home of his father. In the kitchen the light still was burning. Po ran forward and teared open the door.

His eyes filled up with horror.

"DAD!"


	25. Something different

Po held his hands over his mouth. Mr. Ping lay on the ground. His head under a shelf.

"Dad!"

Po ran forwards and touched Mr. Ping on his shoulders.

"Dad! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry for what?"

Po froze with shock when Mr. Ping lifted his head and looked at him with surprise. "Po, are you okay? You look as though you'd seen a corpse."

At last Po moved his lips again. "I... you... I... I thought..." He shook his head. "You lay on the floor and I thought..."

"Oh, that." Mr. Ping laughed. "Sorry, but a dumpling has rolled under the shelf and we don't want to have mold in our kitchen, do we?"

"Eh... y..ye-s..." Po scratched his head with deep perplexity. "Did you see him?"

"Who? Oh! Your friend, oh, yes, yes. He has been here, we talked a little and I'm glad that you don't have to play the hide-game anymore. I'm so proud about you, Po."

Po looked at him like forgotten.

"Ooookaaaayy. Where is he?"

"Oh, as I said, after the dumpling had rolled down, I heard how he went away. Well, I don't have to be worried about him after your success, do I?"

With a warm smile Mr. Ping looked at his son. But Po was still too fulfilled with questions, that he didn't reply.

"Do you know where he is now?"

Mr. Ping shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know, he didn't tell me. Oh, by the way, you could help me to take this into the storeroom." Mr. Ping bent down to pick up a big pot, but after he lifted again...

"Uh, Po? Po?"

But Po was already gone through the door.

* * *

Like a white stoned ghost, the peacock sat on a rock, far away enough from the village, and watched the stars and the moon, which lighted his white feathering.

Something fissled in the woods. Shen didn't look back. He stayed there and listened, until the footsteps stopped behind him, which he knew very well.

"Don't think that I've changed my opinion," the lord said. "I only wanted to get some fresh air, that's all!"

"That's not why I am here," the goat said with gentle voice, which cut through the lord's heart. He hated and loved her benevolence at the same time.

"Besides that, you told that panda about my possible future... My way is still my version. Don't waste your voice and spend it for something different. You aren't my nanny like you have been for me in the past. And I'm not the same anxious child anymore who stood in front of you for the first time."

The goat sighed. "It's still in your hands to change it. Also the panda knew how to guide his way."

Shen snorted with disgust. "I'm not a stinky panda. I'm still a ruler with high degree."

"And where are you standing now?"

The lord lifted his nose a little higher. "I still have my pride."

"You make your life difficult for yourself. I have told your parents that if you continue this way, you will be defeated by a panda."

"And it happened, but he still didn't kill me."

"Who says, that defeating is the same as killing?"

Shen narrowed his eyes in a dangerous annoyed way.

"Shen, you can win if you change your way. It's still time. It's still not too late."

"I don't want to change. Why don't you understand? It's my way which I want to follow. By the way, it's the only way I can go. I have nothing more than my life, which I want to give a new start for my glory."

"With what Shen? Your army is gone, your town isn't your own anymore, you have no friends, no family..."

"I have found a way in the past after I was banished. I will find a new way again."

"Wouldn't it be better for you to guide your way to a better way?"

"You don't understand. I can't go back." His voice became sad for a little moment. "This time is over. Even if I regret my acts, what I will never do, they will kill me after all."

"But you have a... someone who could avoid it."

Shen snorted with disgust. "Who? The panda? Don't tell me that. He has a desire of killing me like the others in the same way."

"But what if you are wrong?"

Shen laughed mockingly. "Do you really think he would spare me? I killed his family, his _whole_ clan. I tainted his childhood." He lowered his glance. "That's more than awful."

The soothsayer narrowed her eyes with sadness, but in the next moment, Shen slapped on a hard facial expression. "Despite all, my parents did nothing. If they had loved me really, they would have done more for me than to let me leave the town. Despite you told me, they had loved me, it wasn't enough."

There was a depressing silence between them.

"Shen? I wasn't going to tell it to you, but I think it's time now, that you know something about your parents."

Shen sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "What is it now? Emotional stuff again? Don't think that I will hear about that. I closed my past with them. I don't grieve about them anymore."

"No, not really. There is something different..."

Shen sighed deeply. "Well then, I guess you will tell me either way, won't you? Alright. Tell me. I have all the time in the world."

The goat sighed. "There is something what you don't know about your parents..."


	26. Alternative ways

"Your parents didn't die a natural death," the goat began.

Shen had unimpressed. "Sure, to die because of sadness isn't very natural."

"That's not what I meant."

"And how did you mean it instead?"

"After you was banished, after you left the town, it became so silent in the palace."

Shen lifted his nose. "So what?"

"Your mother... your mother became depressive. Nothing could make her laugh. And for new children, they were incapable. Two years passed. Your mother found no sense anymore, until she made up her mind to search for you."

Now Shen raised his eyebrows a little, but he kept his callous facial expression. "So, did she?"

"Yes, despite she wasn't allowed to see you somehow, she left the city without your father's knowing about it. But as you can imagine, she wasn't prepared for dangers outside."

The goat paused a moment.

"After a long time, she got the hint that someone saw you in the mountains. But unfortunately... she met with an accident there."

The goat looked at Shen. But he didn't show a sign of sadness. But she knew he ensconced his feelings deep in his soul.

"After the accident," the goat continued. "Some colliers found her after many days. They managed to bring her back to Gongmen City, but her condition didn't ameliorate. Then the day came that she died. But before she left our world, your father had a chance to talk with her."

_"There is still something good inside him," the peahen whispered, while she was holding the hand of her husband. "I know it. Promise that you take good care of him._

_The ruler looked at her with a warm look._ _"I will see what I can do."_

"After the funeral, your father became more silent. But he was determined to keep his promise. One day, he left the city and went out into the world."

The lord showed indifference. "And for what? He will never make it right after what he had done to me."

The goat sighed. "It was for your protection."

"Nice," Shen hissed. "If he only walked away to apologize, it was too late."

The goat shook her head. "Because of this, he didn't leave the city. Listen, after your banishment, you had no right to inherit the treasures of the family anymore. But it was the wish of your father to give you something after his death. And for this reason, he worked."

"Working?" Shen looked at her in disbelief.

"Yes. He worked. Year after year he looked for a work to earn money and unfortunately he was involved with criminal gangs to steal gold."

Shen's eyes became big. That was a side which he had never seen from his father. The goat covered her face with shame.

"Of course, it was a mistake which he regretted after a while and he gave back the gold later and instead he decided to work in gold mines. Over 20 years he did nothing more than to collect step by step gold nuggets, but he never spent it and lived from hand to mouth."

She sighed deeply.

"After so many years, he was at the limit of his tethers. But shortly before he died, he walked back to Gongmen City, where he met me. He was an exhausted, run-downed, weary old man. He unfolded what he had done. And I should inform his son, that if he ever regrets his sins, he should get the assets which he collected to make a new start. It would be enough for you to build a new state of existence. Only if you change your way."

Shen looked at her silently. Then he smiled.

"Alright. I regret", he said with calm and gentle voice.

The goat shook her head with regret. "You can't lie to me, Shen. I will only disclose you the storage location, if you regret honestly."

The face of the lord darkened.

"Well then, in that case, you give me no other choice than to fulfill my way."

The eyes of the goat dilated. "Shen, if you think he will harm you, then you are profoundly wrong."

"Oh, I think that you will be the one, who will be wrong. He will kill me. He _has to_ kill me. There is still a reason for that."

The goat shook her head softly. "How can you be so blind?"

Shen snorted. "I will prove. You will see. This night, he will kill me."

The goat sighed deeply. Then she turned around and left him.

"You don't believe me, do you?!" Shen cried at her. "I will prove. I can prove you wrong!"

But the goat didn't reply and walked her way into the forest.

Shen looked after her with bitter glance. But he didn't run at her.

"I can prove."

_I will prove._


	27. I killed her

Po had no idea where he should go, but he followed his instinct and hoped it wouldn't be wrong.

Quickly he looked around and stopped.

"Hey, why am I running behind him?" he muttered to himself. "Let him go."

He struck himself in the face. "No. That's not right. Yes. It's right. No..."

"Panda."

"AHH!" Po whirled around and froze.

"Oh... ehm..." The panda relaxed at the sight of the old goat.

"You are confused, aren't you?" she asked.

"Why... did you see him?"

The goat sighed and pointed with her walking cane in a direction.

Po nodded and waved his hand. "Thanks..."

"Panda."

Po stopped again. "What?"

"Be warned," she said. "Don't let you deceive. His mind is full of false and broken memories. Don't break him completely. Show him the light of a life."

Po stood there and scratched his head. "Okayyy. What shall I do?"

"Just don't be like him he did."

"Did what?"

"Walk and you will see."

Po wanted to ask something, but the goat was walking away.

* * *

In Shen's heard, there was still a fire. The peacock stood still and tried to order his thoughts.

Suddenly he heard steps, which walked in his direction.

Shen closed and opened his eyes slowly. "Why don't you give up, panda?"

The lord raised his hand, and the panda stood still.

"I wanted to have clear circumstances, " Po said firmly.

He couldn't see Shen's face, but the corner of his mouth moved to a smiling.

"That's what I thought about the same time."

With these words, the lord turned around slowly. Po stood a few meters away and looked up at the lord, who stood on a little hill. The lord folded together his grown again feather fingers and looked at the panda with portentous calmness.

"You wanted to know what happened that night?"

"What night?" Po remembered. "Oh, that night."

The lord narrowed his eyes. "Indeed."

He looked at the sky. "It was dark. And cold. But the fire of the burning houses chased it off very fast."

"What? The pandas?"

Shen sighed annoyed. "The coldness."

"Oh, okay."

"Yes, yes," the lord muttered and walked slowly over the grass. "I remember. There was a little panda sitting in front of a house."

Po's eyes dilated. Did he really remember?

"Such a little, cute panda, which I didn't need in my life." Shen laughed hoarsely. "I ordered my soldiers to take you away - forever."

Po saw shadows in front of his eyes. The wolves who jumped at him. But suddenly...

Shen stopped and snorted. "Such a stupid fat panda, who made a stand against my order."

" _Run away with our son," the big panda cried._

_The lord opened his caudate. "Kill them all!"_

"I had to give him that boldface a lesson. He fought like an absolute beginner." Shen snorted contemptuously, but his voice remained calm. "Oh, yes, he fell into a burning house. What a bad death."

A cold smile formed the peacock's lips until his eyes wandered back at Po. "And you, little panda. It's a mystery for me, how you survived. A nice little miracle, which became my doom."

He swung his brown robe. Po flinched. But Shen didn't attack him, and continued:

"Your mother was such a naive creature and ran away."

"Wait a sec," Po interrupted. "How do you know, that she was my mother?"

Shen lifted his nose and grinned. "I saw it in your eyes. The same eyes which I looked inside, before I killed her."

The lord amused himself about Po's shocked face.

"She really thought I would spare her. She begged for mercy. A creature who threatened my life. How naive can you be?"

Po stepped back. Shen came closer. Po said nothing.

"Oh, little panda," Shen said with a soft voice. "So much sadness in your eyes? Are you afraid?"

He reached out his hand and grabbed the panda's arm. He dug his fingers in his fur with force that it hurt a little. Po cried. Suddenly the lord's claw was on his arm. Shen smiled maliciously.

"Blood can be such a beautiful color in snow, like my red in my snow-white feathers."

He laughed quietly. The panda looked at him with a speechless opened mouth.

Shen turned around suddenly and raised his wings in a noble way.

"Yes, I killed her!" he screamed. His eyes were wide opened. Nearly insane. "I killed her with pleasure."

He chuckled hoarsely. But immediately he sobered down and looked at Po with a hard expression.

"And I regret _nothing_!"

Po didn't know what to say, but Shen did.

"Now... kill me." He opened his wings like he would wait for an arrow in his chest. "I'm standing here! The murderer of your mother."

Po didn't move. In the moonlight, the lord stood there like an angel, but an angel of death, who revealed his sins. The lord raised his wings higher.

"Do you need a helping hand?"

Something long and sharp blinked in the moon light.

"I've taken the liberty of taking that."

He threw the knife on the floor where it came to a hold with a clinking sound.

"I'm in your hands."

Po stared down at the knife.

"What are you waiting for?" Shen became impatient. "Fulfill your destiny, Dragon Warrior. Let's settle our war."

With slow movements, Po picked up the knife, but he still didn't move his feet.

Shen's eyes began to twitch.

Suddenly, Shen jumped at the panda. Po fell backward, but he stood up again. Before Shen could attack him again, Po leaned forward and sent the peacock flying on his back and fixed him on the ground.

Shen panted, but he smiled. A venomous smile on dark lips.

"Do you want to do, what you wanted to do the whole time?"

Po winced. The knife was still in his right hand. Shen focused it and nodded at it.

"Do it. It's not difficult."

With that the lord grasped the hand of the panda and led the knife over his chest.

"Just one push to satisfy your pain. Yes, it will heal your pain. Better than knowledge."

The peacock lowered the blade and placed it directly on his chest over his heart.

"It's so easy."

Shen relaxed his body. He kept the eye contact.

"So easy." He laughed hoarsely. "Like I did to your mother."

The lord closed his eyes. He was ready to fulfill his destiny, like he called it.

For several seconds, nothing happened. Shen opened his eyelids few millimeters.

The panda pushed the knife forward.

Shen's eyes squinted. He heard that the knife ram into something, but he didn't feel pain.

The lord opened his eyes. Po had run the knife into the earth next to the lord.

"What are you doing?!" the lord screamed more threatening than irritated.

Po didn't answer. He stood up and walked away slowly. Shen rose up quickly. He grabbed the knife and threw it at the panda. Suddenly Po turned around, raised his hands and the knife flew through the air and got stuck in a tree.

Speechlessly, Shen stared at it. His eyes wandered back at Po, who stood there with strained posture.

"You made a big mistake," Po began with dark voice. "But that were you. And I'm Po. And I'm not like you."

Shen trembled. "Don't you want to revenge your parents? They are crying for that!"

"Like your parents did?"

Shen froze.

"After that, my parents will never return," Po continued. "Even not yours."

Shen gasped for air. These words cut his soul very deeply.

Po raised his empty hands.

"Your life isn't in my hands. It is in _your_ hands."

With that, he turned around again and wanted to go away. Shen looked after him.

He swallowed several times. Suddenly he swung himself in front of the panda and cut his way.

"Pick up the knife!"

"No, Shen. That's something what I will never do."

The peacock stood there like forgotten in the world. He didn't understand the world anymore.

"That makes no sense!"

His lips quivered.

Po narrowed his eyes. "You are the only one who makes no sense. We want to help you. But you don't want it. Why are you so coveting to die? You could make it better."

"That's impossible!" the lord cried. "My way is done. My future has predetermined. You have to defeat me!"

Po stared into his eyes. "That you were banished wasn't because of me or my family. That the cannon had crashed on you wasn't because of me. You killed my family, you made unhappy your parents. I never killed them... It wasn't because of me. I never defeated you alone. You were the one who did it."

Shen took the air with rage and clenched his fists.

Po lowered his face with anger. "Go wherever you want. I will not detain you. Do what you want."

The panda wandered off and turned his back on Shen.

"Why do you let me go?"

Po stopped and sighed. "It's beyond my power to protect you. You are a part of my life. Maybe the last part what I will have about my parents. But maybe it's the best to close with the past. I know where I came from, and I have to know where I will go. Even if I hadn't a good start in my life."

"How can you walk through the life with shame in your soul?"

"That's the art in our life. It doesn't count where you come from. It's important where you go. The end of the life is the most important last sign what the world will see from us and will keep in memory."

With that Po went away and left the lord who stood still. He watched the panda until he had vanished.

His face was like stone. The words echoed through his mind which pounded against his head and his soul.

Suddenly he fell back.

No, it wasn't his fault. It was the fault of the panda.

Shen compressed his lips. He held his head. So many voices crossed his head. He couldn't stand it.

He covered his face with his wings. Everything became so heavy and hurt his lungs.

The universe was against him. He couldn't find a clear line.

The future, the past, the present... all was so confusing.

He kneeled down and then, after a long time, after so long time; he sobbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I don't know whether Shen really killed his mother alone. But as we saw in the movie, after Po's mother left Po, she was followed by wolves and Shen. Possible that Shen killed her with his weapon. For this reason, it's just a supposition.


	28. The night after

Po didn't walk back home. After he had left Shen, he wandered through the forest without aim and without knowing what he should do next. Instead he walked around and he became tired. And without comment he let fall himself aside under a tree and didn't want to go more. He wanted to sleep. Just sleeping.

Shen's words echoed through his head.

_"I killed her!"_

Po shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to feel revenge in his fists. His inner peace had to be stronger. He found his peace, but not him.

With a loud sigh, he rolled from one side to another. And after a few minutes, he fell asleep.

* * *

The first sunbeams touched the top of the trees. Po's nose jerked when the sun touched it. He sniffed and coughed. The panda blinked and held his hand over his eyes.

Memories of the last night came back. Po sighed deeply. How should he explain Shifu all that? Shifu will kick him out! Banning him! He will hate him! He will never come back to his village of peace...

Suddenly Po stood up with shocked eyes. "Oh no! The festival!"

Po ran through the forest and had forgotten all menaces of Shifu and others. He had to be in the village! Otherwise, it would be war!

* * *

Po had already passed the main street, until...

"Oh, Po! Po!"

Po stopped and Mr. Ping ran at him. "Oh Po! I couldn't sleep the whole night!"

"No time, dad!"

Po turned around and continued running.

"But Po! Look what I made last night."

Po looked behind and watched how his dad hanged up a poster. "With the Dragon Warrior you can strengthen your forces with the Dragon Warrior soup."

Po looked at him with unsure face.

"Uhm, not good?"

"No, no, it... it's nice, dad. Very nice."

Mr. Ping's face became worried. "Po? Are you okay?"

Po stopped. "It's... it's nothing, dad."

"Are you really sure, Po? You know you can talk to me about everything."

For a brief moment, Po was going to talk, but in last second he bit his underlip. "It's nothing. I... I have to go now."

Mr. Ping didn't know what to say and watched how his son ran to the palace.


	29. Yes master

With slow footsteps Po climbed up the long, limitless stairs. All hell will be let loose, he thought, but he had to come back. In the last part of the palace stairs, he stopped. It was so quiet here like he never heard it before. His footsteps echoed on the stony floor. He passed the gate and went up to the palace house.

The doors were open. Po sighed deeply.

The hall was empty, beside the relicts.

Po stopped immediately when he was seeing Shifu at the end of the hall.

The master said nothing, just staring at the panda.

Po raised his hand shyly. "Hi."

"Step forward," was the only dark answer what he got.

Po swallowed and walked at the Kung Fu Master. Meanwhile Shifu had turned around his back at him and stared like into an invisible space.

Shortly before him the panda came to a hold.

He rubbed his hands together and looked at him questioningly. "Uhm, master?"

"Po. What have I told you?"

"Em, there were many things what you told me master… ouch!"

Shifu hit his cane on Po's fingers. "I told you, you shouldn't come into his near! I have warned you several times!"

Po stepped backwards while Shifu forced him back. "I always warned you, again and again. Why didn't you listen to me?!"

Po lowered his glance deeply. "I don't know, Master Shifu. I only hopped that… Ouch!"

"Po, you can't face the truth, can you?"

"What truth?"

"Po! You saw it with your own eyes! He was going to kill you yesterday! Nothing had changed!"

"I know, Master, but it seems that…"

"I sent out the soldiers. I gave order to hunt him down, without exception."

"No, Master, I think I can…"

Po had no chance to speak one word more. Shifu grabbed him on his head and threw him with his little weights to the ground.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, my nose!"

"Panda! Start to listen! If it wouldn't be so important, I would ban you from the festival. And if you weren't the dragon warrior, I wouldn't let you here in the palace anymore!"

Shifu jumped down from him. Po rubbed his head.

"Your behavior is more than scandalous. You prejudiced not only you and me, and us, but the whole village!"

Po stood there like crestfallen. Maybe the master was right, but otherwise there was still a glimmer of hope inside him. But Shifu wouldn't listen to him.

Master Shifu cleaned his throat and turned around with calmer voice. "Po, I know how much it means for you, but believe me, it's the best for all that he doesn't live anymore. Let him find his peace and ours. I heard from Master Ox that he was angry that he survived the accident in the sea. Believe me, it's his wish to find his peace in death."

Po blinked. He kept the picture of Shen in his mind where he ordered him to hit the knife into his chest. Was it the truth, that he wanted to die?

"Look at me while I'm talking to you," Shifu said.

Po looked at his yes. "Yes, master."

"I had expected an apologize at least," the master rebuked.

Po sighed. "Yes, master. I'm sorry for all, I'm sorry for all the mess what I have caused."

With that the panda bent down with ashamed face. "I'm sorry."

Shifu raised his eyebrows. "Po, I insist on obedience from you for now. Do you understand now?"

"Yes, master." It was a weak yes.

"Po."

Po winced.

"I confide in you. Don't disappoint me."

It was difficult to answer for Po. "Yes, master."

Suddenly a loud voice of a palace goose echoed through the hall.

"They are coming, they are coming!"

Shifu pricked up his ears and looked at Po again. "Po, if that is over, we will continue our dialog."

Po nodded sadly. "Yes, master."

This was rock-bottom.


	30. Welcome to the Valley of Peace

There were loud voices of cheers in the village. Shifu and Po had left the palace and walked down the stairs to the forecourt. Po realized his five friends on the gate who looked down the mountain. With a nervous smile on his lips he came closer.

"Hi guys."

First, they didn't move, but one after other they looked behind and looked at him with silence glance.

"Uhm." Po rubbed his neck. "It's still cold this morning, isn't it?"

They avoided his glance and looked down ahead again.

Po sighed deeply and went step by step and stopped beside them. The panda tried to get a look from Tigress and waved his hand again.

"Shifu said, we shall be silent," Monkey whispered at him.

"Oh, okay."

Po rubbed about his mouth and kept his mouth closed.

Music instruments played from far away. Now the palace pigs made ready their instruments to welcome the rulers.

"Po."

Po winced and looked at the serious face of Shifu. "No bad behavior, you know what I mean. No small talk, just respectfully dignity."

"Okay, master, okay. I will do. I… wow."

The fanfare band came closer and climbed up the stairs of the mountain.

"Wow, they are really coming to us!"

"And if something goes wrong," Gong the gazelle said who appeared like from nothing. "It will be devastating for you, Mister Shifu."

Shifu trembled with anger. " _Master_ Shifu," he muttered.

"Oh, look," Viper said. "They are going to climb up the mountain stairs."

"Now it is an important day for us and for the village," Shifu said. "And to keep the peace in this place. From now on, we forget what happened the last few days and will concentrate only on them and their welfare, alright?"

"Yes, Master Shifu."

"Especially for you, Po."

"Yes, Master Shifu, Sir."

Shifu nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

They assembled themselves in front of the palace stairs. Po kneaded his fingers.

Meanwhile, the most valley people had reached the palace yard. Mr. Ping came with a little wagon and swung dolls of pandas.

The furious five and the Dragon Warrior stood in the yard behind of them the stairs to the palace and were waiting for the arrival of the visitors.

After a while, big shadows appear at the top of the mountain stairs.

"Those stairs," one of them said. "We should invent something moveable."

At the top of the stairs stood a big elephant and a big hippo. Both took a deep breath and continued their walk inside the yard.

Gong went beside them.

Po nibbled on his nails and watched them with big eyes. Both big animals came to a hold.

"Allow me to introduce," Gong said. "Dong, ruler west of the valley."

The elephant bent down his head.

"And Gang, ruler of the east valley."

The hippo imitated the gesture of his colleague ruler.

Po smiled and waved his hand. "Hi, I'm… ouch!"

Po rubbed his knee because of a sidekick of Master Shifu.

"Uh, I mean, it's an honor for me, let me welcome you. Welcome to the Valley of Peace."

"It's an honor for us to meet the long-awaited Dragon Warrior," both answered.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Now Master Shifu bent down. "Welcome in Jade Palace. Now let us fulfill the tradition for our long-awaited peace festival."

With that, the both rulers walked up the palace stairs. Po followed them, including his friends.

Suddenly Tigress winced and turned around. There was something. She had been sure something had dashed along the palace walls. But she could see nothing. With a bad feeling she walked up the stairs.


	31. Out of the sky

Together the group walked up the stairs to the main palace where the sanctuaries of the Kung Fu warriors were treasured. Po was nervous and gnaw on his nails. He gave Shifu an unsure look from time to time. What should he say now?

The big gates of the palace were opened and the group entered.

"It's an honor for us to welcome you in our halls of the glory", Shifu started and walked in first.

Po followed them and cleaned his throat. "Oh, yes… this is the pantheon of the biggest warriors of Kung Fu. If you want, I can tell you all the stories about them."

"We want to hear the story of yours", Gang said.

"Mine?" Po looked around. "Uh, eh… well, my destiny of to be the great Dragon Warrior was a very interesting way… with uphill battles."

He swung his fists and started his version of his beginning as the Dragon Warrior, with some embroideries.

"The training was hard," Po came to the end of his story. "But with the help of the best Kung Fu teacher Master Shifu, I learned to handle the Kung Fu in my best way. Until I stood in front of my first enemy, which I had to defeat."

He made more jumps and lifted his hands in an attacking way. "Short silver fur, dangerous eyes, the coldness was written in his face, in short pants, claws and teeth."

He made a few steps aside and came closer to the side of the hall and looked at a leopard looking figure.

"Yes, something similar like him, just bigger, eh… wait, is it part of our glory hall?"

Suddenly the leopard moved and hit the panda in the face.

All of the group shocked when more leopards came from all sides.

"How can you dare to break in this holy place?" Master Shifu cried with anger.

The red panda avoided a flying object which came in a close second and shattered on the floor.

Meanwhile, the intruders had circled the group. The biggest cat stepped forward in front of Po.

"Where is he?"

Po looked at him contritely. "Who do you mean?"

The leopard growled. "Lord Shen."

"Aren't you the one who attacked the dungeon of Gongmen City?" Mantis asked.

The leader didn't answer his question and flashed his eyes at the panda, who had no idea what he should say now.

"Um, Shen? Shen, well, he is somewhere. I don't know where. He is away from the house."

The leader became angrier. "Talk!"

Po gave Shifu a help seeking look. Shifu turned around and gave the five friends a sign. These understood. For a moment, there was silence, but suddenly…

An outcry filled the hall. The furious five left their positions and hit and kicked with their fists and feet around like devils.

After a second, Po woke up from his torpor and started an attack like the others. Shifu partook. Even Gang and Dong understood the gravity of this situation and defended themselves with all available means. Their martial art is not bad, Po thought.

Just Gong hid himself under a table.

The leader of the cats concentrated his energy on Po. He believed that he exactly knew where the peacock was and hunted the panda through the whole hall. Po had the chance to make an overview about the situation, and jumped on a stature.

"Hey!" he cried. "I'm the one who are you looking for and who should give you information, aren't you? Let these alone and fight against me, the Dragon Warrior!"

He had not finished his words yet and the leopards jumped at him like cats at a mouse. Po was scared at the sight and ran through a window outside near of the roof.

In the yard, Mr. Ping was busy to sell the plush pandas, until a pig pointed at the palace. "Hey, look at this."

All people looked up and saw the Dragon Warrior followed by many big cats.

"Is this part of the festival?" someone asked.

Mr. Ping didn't know what to say and thrust a plush panda into someone's hand nervously.

* * *

"Is that all what you can give?" Po asked with puffing.

"Tell us where he is!" the leader ordered.

Of course, Po didn't know it and decided to make a little run. "Catch me."

And disappeared behind a wall. The leopards behind him.

"Okay, okay, Po", Po said to himself while he ran beside the palace wall. "Think about it, what can I do with so many attackers? AH!"

A sharp hit behind his back let him run faster. He had to lead them away from the palace. Only with that the others would be in safe. All city people were in the palace yard. The village was the only place where he could fight with them without risk to hurt someone.

After this decision he took a sharp curve and ran down the stairs of the mountain.

"Stairs!" The Dragon Warrior panted. "I hate stairs!"

It took a while until he reached the first houses of the village and jumped on a roof. But the attackers didn't let throw off and climbed on the roof.

"Always keep calm", Po said to himself and jumped at a higher roof, which was the larger house of the village. "Couldn't we talk about it at least?"

Po stopped and had to make a break after his marathon.

The leader took his chance and made a gigantic jump. Po was going to avoid him, but suddenly, something fell down from the wall and crashed against the leopard. The leader fell back and hit against his followers and down the street.

Po looked at them irritated. He realized a movement and turned around. For a moment he looked speechless. But then he jumped forward and hugged the familiar white in brown robe clothed person.

"I knew it!"

"No hugs, panda!"

The lord pushed him away brutally and pressed him on the roof. "That's still something between me and you! I just came to make sure that I can defeat you first before someone other do, get it!?"

Po gasped for air before Shen let his throat free again.

The panda coughed. "O-kay."

Shen released him completely and stood there like a lord used to stand in his pride.

"These furred types attacked the palace. There were looking for you."

Shen gave him a callously look. "I know."

"Why are they looking for you?" Po asked more.

"It doesn't concern you, panda", the lord warded off his question. "But it's my concern to put it to an end." He made a little break. "But I think, I can't handle it alone."

He looked at Po who understood.

"Alright", Po said and pressed his fists together. "What shall I do?"


	32. Close and too close

Meanwhile, the leopards had recovered from the punch again, and were popping up again. Po kept his head down after he had dared a look down to the street.

"Alright, what's your plan?"

Shen was still silent and looked around.

"I have no soldiers, but here must be firework, isn't it?"

Po thought a moment.

"Yes, three streets away there is a firework shop."

"I think that will be enough. Show me the way."

Po ran first, but suddenly a lot of household furniture was thrown at them and smashed on the roof tiles.

"Hey!" Po cried. "That's unfair."

The panda turned around and parried off the unusual projectiles. Shen was agile enough so that he could avoid the objects what the leopards threw at them.

At least it didn't take much time and they arrived the house. They jumped down the roof and Po wanted to open the door.

"It's closed."

Without a reply, the lord cut through the door lock.

Po had no time to say a word more, and together they entered the salesroom of the store.

The shelves were empty.

"Uh, in the storehouse must be something," Po said. "I had with my dad…"

Shen didn't wait, and walked into the storeroom with wooden boxes. Through the windows shined sunlight and made free the view on the firecrackers.

"That's enough," Shen said.

"Do you think you can handle it?" Po asked unsurely.

"Panda, I have worked with gun powder where you haven't been on earth."

Loud voices cried at the shop entrance.

"Okay." Po became anxious. "What's your idea? It would be not bad if it would come fast."

"Just a few minutes," the lord replied. "Keep them busy."

"How?"

"Think about something, no matter what, or has a dragon warrior no ideas in his head?"

"Uhm, okay."

With that Po ran back into the salesroom. Not too late. One of the leopards was going to charge through the door frame, and crashed against Po's belly. The leopard bounced off and crashed against his follower.

"Bloody idiot!" the leader cursed.

Po cleaned his throat. "Well, first, my name is Po, and second,… um… second… as a dragon warrior, I have to fight against you because of a threat to peace."

The bigger leopard snorted. "There is no peace as long as that monster of a bird is still alive."

Po tried a smile. "Alright. I know he isn't the best buddy. The most time he is a little too dark thinking, but…"

Suddenly a loud explosion came from the storeroom. Po ran back, but for a moment he couldn't see because of too much smoke. But just for few seconds.

Now he realized a hole in the ceiling. Shen jumped outside; Po ran after him. But the attackers thought the same.

Po could hear their fast steps close behind him.

He had reached the roof barely; he was ready for a new fight. But a wave of the lord's wing let him froze.

"Stop!" resounded the peacock's voice and made his tormentors immobile.

"The ground is covered with powder. One step more and I blew all to the air!"

Po looked surprised and shocked together when he saw the burning fuse in the lord's hand. But without firecracker.

Po looked at Shen then at their attackers, who didn't dare to move.

At this moment, Shen gave Po a wave with his head.

"Retrogresses," the panda heard the peacock speaking quietly. "Let me exterminate them."

Po thought he wouldn't hear right.

"What?"

Shen narrowed his eyes more. "I said what I said and I mean it. I will finish it here."

But before Shen could throw away the fuse into the gunpowder, one single word restrained him.

"No."

Angry eyes met the eyes of the panda, who shivered from the peacock's glance.

"Are you out of your mind, panda?!"

"Not more out of mind like I did with you."

That answer let Shen be silent for a second of time.

"That's not the same, panda," after he had found back his voice.

"But yes, Shen," Po tried to stay calm. "And I'm not here to judge, I never did. Not with others, not with you, not with them."

Shen blinked, but he didn't want to keep it in his mind the time on the shipwreck.

Suddenly loud voices in the distance. Both got distracted and saw how guards of the palace were running in their direction. At the same moment, Po extinguished the burning fuse with his fingers. Shen watched the panda speechlessly. Po tried a smile and reached out his hand.

The lord's posture had tensed, in his face a little relaxation, but he couldn't take it.

The peacock shook his head.

"Sorry, it has no use, panda."

With that the lord made a run-up and jumped down the roof.

"Hey, wait!"

The loud voices became louder. Po looked around and saw how close the guards were. For a moment, the panda didn't know what to do. Then he found back to the reality.

"Don't move," he cried at their attackers, who still stood in the storeroom, but he knew they wouldn't stay there, but at the moment, he had no idea what he should do or say more. He only knew he wanted to run.

"Shen! Wait!"

For a little moment, the peacock hesitated, but then he made a new run.

Po panted and tried to overtake him.

The lord had almost reached the end of the village, but suddenly…

Po stopped in his run and stared.

A big figure had jumped from the site and pressed the peacock on the ground.

"The fun is over!"

Po's eyes dilated. "Master Ox?"


	33. The Dragon Warrior speaks

Master Ox added his pressure on the lord's neck. The ruler closed his eyes with defeat. He had no force to fight. If it was his destiny, he would accept it. Now Master Croc appeared next to Master Ox. Meanwhile, the guards have reached them and circled all around. Also around the ones who had attacked their rulers. And it didn't take much time and all the others came. But before they had arrived, Po walked forward.

"Master Ox? Master Croc? How did you come so fast?"

Master Ox snorted. "After we had read the message, we let all fall and ran here."

The lord cried silently when Master Ox gave the peacock's neck a hard squeeze.

"And he will get what he deserves. Without interruptions!"

With that the ox hoicked the lord brutally. Shortly after Shen's feet felt the ground again, he was going to break away from that Kung Fu ruffian. But sharp swords and spears encircled him, and he knew, there was no way of escape. Not without his full energy. He still felt his injuries under his new grown feathers.

"Po?!"

Po shocked at the presence of his father. The goose barged his way through the crowds, because meanwhile the whole village had come together.

"Po! Are you okay?"

Po looked contritely. "Uhm, how should I explain, dad? It's…"

"Po!"

The angry voice of Master Shifu let him freeze.

"Po! You prejudiced all because of your stubbornness!"

"But Master Shifu," Po tried. "It was the fault of…"

In the next moment, the guards brought the leopard group on the public yard.

"That's not the point," Shifu muttered angrily. "You risked a war over our village."

Po took a look at the two rulers who weren't injured after that robbery.

"Eh, they don't look angry, do they?"

He tried a smile, but it was killed by Shifu's glance.

"It's the best we bring that behind us as fast as possible."

His glance wandered to Master Ox with the captured lord. The peacock's posture was firm. He was tired of running away.

"Drag him away from that place!" Shifu cried. "He should never enter this sanctuary again."

Master Ox grinned. "It will be a pleasure for me! Bring the chains," he shouted to some guards. The lord breathed louder when Master Ox added his pressure around his arms. "And you will make a last journey!"

Shen struggled. The ox touched his old injuries deliberately that it hurt.

Po was conflicted. "No, let…"

"Spare your words, panda!" the lord ordered. "I outlived his friend; I will outlive that bastard, too."

That insult let Master Ox move his fists. Shen had the chance to avoid a few centimeters, but the hit of the ox force kicked him hard to the ground. Master Ox would smash the peacock if Master Croc didn't stop him. "That's enough!"

Master Ox let out a scream, but he stopped his beatings on the lord. Meantime the guards came with the shackles in their hands and were going to shackle the bird.

"But, but…"

Shifu interrupted Po's speaking tries. "Po!" Master Shifu came closer. "Po, I told you…"

"No." Po winced about his own words. "Uhm, I mean, Master Shifu, let me speak a word, just this one time."

"No! You made mischief enough."

"But…"

He watched how the guards held the lord's arms with firmly grabs. Shen tried to keep still, but the ox still hurt him without to stop his pre-torment.

With hesitation Po lifted his hand. "Eh, listen, I…"

"Po!"

"But Master, I…"

"Po? What happened?" Mr. Ping asked.

The village people talked across each other, while Po tried to say a word.

"But…"

Suddenly a gigantic loud trumpet of an elephant banged through the air that all had to close their ears. It happened several seconds, until it stopped.

Dong lowered his trunk and pointed at Po. "Dragon Warrior wants to say something."

For a moment Po was silent. "Uhm, yes, thank you."

Everyone was silent and looked at Po, who tried to search for a few words.

"Eh, you!" He pointed at the guards. "Bring the intruders to me."

They did. Now Po could see it was five of these leopard fighters.

Po looked to the leader and came closer. "Say, what's your name?"

"Bailong."

"Okay, Bailong. Maybe we had a bad start with communication, but please tell me, what did Shen against you?"

Bailong snorted and looked with so much hate at the lord that Po got a deep shiver under his thick fur.

"We denied him our metal. After that he destroyed our whole village. With many dead people."

Po remembered how the wolves had also robbed a village in their near to collect the metal. But they had the luck that nobody was injured.

"Okay, that explains everything."

Po rubbed his forehead. He waved his glance at Shen, who didn't move a face muscle. He didn't seem to regret that. Then he turned at Master Ox.

"Master Ox, as a Dragon Warrior I ask you to release him so that I can see into his eyes."

Master Ox snorted, but when Master Croc tapped his shoulder, he loosened his grip and let the ruler free.

The peacock coughed a little, but he laid together his hands like he used to do and showed more pride than before and stared at the panda.

Po cleaned his throat. "Shen, come closer, please."

The lord narrowed his eyes, but he did. Shortly before he arrived him, he whispered at him: "Are you going to do, what you wanted to do the whole time, panda?"

Po ignored the peacock's sarcasms and continued.

"Listen folk of Bailong," Po said loudly. "I know about your situation. Shen killed your conspecifics, and I know how you feel. This lord," he pointed at Shen. "He took my family and all what I had he wanted to steal from me too. Because of him I lost my father and my mother. I have to be the one who would bring him to death the most."

Shen put a smile on his lips. He didn't disagree and lowered his glance a little. But he lifted his head immediately again. Master Ox was the only one who seemed to be satisfied with that speech.

Po relaxed his face muscles with a smile.

"But you helped me to save my home. You saved my current family. And I'm thankful for this."

Shen winced. Was that panda kidding?

"I can't undo what you or I have done, but we still have the chance to move it in a different way. You are a prince with extraordinary abilities. Today it's a day of peace. Many years ago, two nations fought here in this place where we are standing at the moment, as you know all the story. Today, their offspring of the nation's came here to celebrate our peace in this valley. And today I proclaim my peace offer to my biggest enemy. With deep respect."

With that Po put together his palms.

"Master."

He bent down his head almost to the ground. Shen didn't know what to say and stared at the bowing panda. All people looked at each other. The Dragon Warrior bowed down to his worst enemy.

"The Dragon Warrior spoke a wise word," Dong said.

And now, Shifu didn't believe what he was seeing. The elephant made a few steps forward and bent down like Po was doing. The hippo Gang accompanied and bent down in the same way. Gong, the gazelle, did what his rulers did and let fall himself. Now Mr. Ping bent down, too. And more and more people bowed to the lord.

Shen was still like in trance, and stared at the bending down heads in front of him, which became more and more. At last the furious five imitated the gesture. Shifu trembled with rage, but he didn't want to speak a word because of the big respect of the nation rulers. And then, after inner war, he lowered his glance with tensed posture.

Master Ox and Master Croc constituted the exception. Master Ox was going to scream around, but Master Croc retained him.

Meanwhile Shen looked around. These people bowed down without an order. His eyes kept on the soothsayer, who nodded at him softly.

_"Don't throw it away."_

His eyes became wet. He looked down at the still bowing panda. Then he balled his hands.

Suddenly Shen jumped aside and grabbed a spear. Some people's eyes grew bigger. The lord ran at the panda and…

"AHHHH!"

With a loud cry the peacock rammed the spear into the stony ground in front of the panda. The peacock had lowered his face, his eyes closed, his cramped hands wrapped around the hilt. He panted a little.

"You are so stupid, panda," the whispering words reached the panda's ears. "So stupid."

Then he left the spear and let it stuck in the stone slaps.

Then he put his hands together, lowered his head and bowed.

Po lifted his head a little and was going to stand up, but…

"No hugs," the lord said with still closed eyes.

"Okay," Po whispered back.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Master Ox interrupted the silence. "Are you all out of your mind?! In front of us stands the most dangerous enemy of China and the one who wanted to destroy Kung Fu! He deserves the capital punishment, nothing else."

"Not after a peace offer," Gang countered. "This would be against the law of our nations."

Master Ox snorted. "Not against my law of Gongmen City!"

"But we aren't in Gongmen City, are we?" Po replied and stood up. "He has a right to prove himself."

The ox was shortly before to get a tantrum.

"Listen, Master Ox," Po said and looked at Shen. "Master Shen, I respect your free will, but let me know what you are going to do now?"

The lord was still confused and thought about all. It was against his will to stay calm, but then the goat appeared behind the panda and was looking at him with pleading eyes. It wasn't over yet.

All of her words echoed through his mind. Was it that, what his parents hoped so long?

"What's your answer?" Po's words brought him back.

The lord sighed. "Panda, if you let rest your weapons, I will rest my weapons too, if you promise me that you swear your peace for me."

"I promise and swear it."

"In this case," Dong said. "It's validated."

Master Ox stood there like all dressed up and nowhere to go, but he found back his language. And it showed more than anger.

"So, if you trust that miscreant, then it's your funeral. But he can't go back to Gongmen City! Never again!"

Po looked at the peacock, but this one didn't say a word. His expression was emotionless. But he knew it wouldn't bring something to protest.

The panda rubbed his fur. "I think, in this case we are in one opinion."

"But you will hang if he tries a new conquest expedition," Master Ox added with rage.

Po felt the eyes of the nation rulers and lifted his upper body. "I authenticate. I'm sure he will never do that again."

He interrupted himself. "Would you?"

The peacock gave him a skeptical look. "Are you going to break your promise, panda?"

"No."

"Well then."

The ox walked forward to the peacock. The lord's muscles tensed. With a warning gesture, the Kung Fu master pointed at the lord.

"Should you ever enter one step into the city, it will be your death!"

Shen hissed warningly. Both stared at each other.

"We will see," was Shen's only answer.

The ox lifted his fist. "Don't dare!"

"Uhm, listen, maybe it's the best to go," Master Croc said.

Master Ox gave Shen a last warning wave, then he turned around.

Po lifted his hand. "Eh, don't you want to stay?"

"With that bastard?" Master Ox was angry enough. "Never I will share my place with him. If I were you, I would cut through his head. And if something happens, I will cut you."

Po was pale a little. "Uhm, okay. That's a word."

"We disappear." With that the Kung Fu masters went away.

Po looked after them and didn't believe what had happened.

"Po?" He looked at Shifu. "It wasn't a wise decision to speak against the Kung Fu Masters."

Po sighed. "I know, but what should I do instead?"

Shifu lay back his ears. "How can you trust more someone who is a danger for China, instead of your own people?"

"Master, I know, it sounds crazy, but I believe him that he will hold his word."

Master Shifu wasn't sure about it. "Like Master Ox said, it will be your funeral, if not."

Po swallowed. "Okay."

"Hey!"

Po's eyes wandered to the leopards. "What about us?"

"What is it about you?"

"As I can see it, you don't want that we should kill him."

"That's what I expect."

"But what about our destroyed village?"

"Your village? Eh, your village."

"Great Dragon Warrior," the elephant Dong said. "For your deeds, we will give you what you need."

Po looked at him with surprise. "And what should it be?"

"We could make good any damage what all happened to them. And for your own village."

Po made big eyes. "That's what you would do for me? Wow. Thanks buddy."

He took the trunk of the elephant and shook it.

Then he looked around, because all had set eyes on him.

"Well, the day is not over yet. We have still the chance to celebrate our festival of peace."


	34. Cold goodbye

Carefully Po looked around the corner. Mr. Ping stood in the kitchen. He sighed and walked to him with lowered head.

"Uhm, dad?"

Mr. Ping interrupted his work. "Yes, Po?"

"Uhm, I, I wanted to say…"

He rubbed his head nervously.

Mr. Ping put away the knife and looked at his son. "What is it, my son?" he asked with a gentle voice.

"I want to say, that… I'm so sorry that I didn't say the whole truth from the beginning. I didn't want to bring you in danger. It was just…"

"Po."

Mr. Ping went to him and touched the panda belly. "Listen, I would never address reproaches to you because of that. I know why you did it. And I understand. To say the truth, I had suspected something, but I was sure, you would do the right thing, Po."

"So, you aren't angry about it?"

"About what?"

"Well, he is not just a stranger like strangers come in our restaurant every day. It's because, he did bad things to me and my parents. You aren't angry with him?"

Mr. Ping sighed. "Well, he made a lot of mistakes. But after a little dialog, I think I know what's going round in his mind."

Po looked at his eyes. Mr. Ping touched his face. "I'm very proud of you, Po."

Po smiled and wrapped his arms around him.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, my son."

Mr. Ping was near to tears.

Nobody knew that somebody watched them through a window. The lord stepped back, but he didn't lose sight of them. The embrace of them, let him rise a feeling inside him which he had forgotten all these long years. Something what he wanted to feel again. Somehow.

"Shen?"

The peacock winced and turned back in his proud posture and looked down at the old goat.

"You're still here?" he asked emotionless.

"Where should I be instead?"

The lord snorted. "Don't think that I forgive you all these turbulences from the last few days. And be sure, there is still nothing completely forgiven and forgotten."

The goat nodded and watched him calmly. "And what's your next step in your life?"

The lord shook his head slowly and looked into the distance. "Did you say something about from my father?"

* * *

"Have you thought twice about it? I mean, you can stay here as long as you want." A cleaning hrumph of Shifu let Po stop. "Uhm, more or less."

"Panda," the lord began. "I have other plans already."

They stood at the edge of the village. Next to the lord stood the goat and in front of him Po, Shifu, the furious five and Mr. Ping. It was the next day after the festival of peace and after the nation rulers had already left the village and promised to come back next year.

The panda lowered his face with disappointment. "Alright. Well, in this case, I wish you goodbye."

"Farewell."

With that, they bowed in front each other respectfully.

"You know, if you need help," Po said after they had lifted their heads again. "You know where you can find me."

"I appreciate it, panda."

"Write a letter."

Shen's glance wandered to Shifu, who stared with grim-faced at him. He said no word. No sound. But the peacock guessed what he was thinking. The lord said no word too. He just nodded with a mocking snort at the red panda and didn't deign to look at the furious five. Just for Mr. Ping he nodded with a little thankful look. Mr. Ping nodded back and bowed.

"It was a pleasure for me to serve you."

"I really appreciate it. Well then."

With that, he turned around. The soothsayer walked beside him and together they walked along the path through the fields of the valley of peace.

"He never said a thanks," Mantis muttered angrily.

"He did it already," Po said. "Even though without words."

"Are you sure, he will not make a new war try?" Monkey asked while they were looking at the two Gongmen Citizen who became smaller and smaller.

"Don't worry," Po said calmly. "I'm sure, someone will keep an eye on him."

* * *

The last few warm sunbeams lighted the horizon and bathed the landscape in red yellow colors.

The lord let shine the sun on his face. With closed eyes he sat on a little stone and looked like in meditation.

Meanwhile, the soothsayer had lighted a campfire not far away. Now she went over to him.

"Shen?"

"Mm," he muttered quietly.

"Dinner is ready."

He nodded softly. The lord stood up and turned his back on the sun.

The goat watched him. He seemed to be relaxed. With a soft sigh the lord sat down in front of the campfire and didn't say a word until the goat handed him a bowl of soup.

"How long do we need to reach our travel destination?" he asked.

"Just two days." She gave him a worried look. "How do you feel?"

"I'm not sure. It's different. But it doesn't feel so good."

"That's normal if things develop different from planned."

The lord lowered the bowl in his hands and stared inside the liquid.

"It was my dream to rule China."

"The main point is that you still alive, and you can make your parents proud."

"Do you think, they are proud of me?"

"I'm very sure, like I'm proud of you."

"Have you thought, I wanted to kill him when I took the spear?"

"I know you. You wouldn't have done it. The knowledge of honor was one of your facets in your life, what you had before your banishment. I was sure you wouldn't forget it."

"I guess, you never want to give me up, do you?"

"No."

A soft smile played around her mouth. And that was a warm feeling in his snow-white soul.

He looked back. The sun was gone. A soft coldness filled the air and let memories come back from the last weeks. He didn't say it, he owed the panda a lot. And he knew it wouldn't be the last time that he met him… the warrior in black and white… and the one who defeated his war. But in contrast to the Dragon Warrior he still didn't feel inner peace. Something was incomplete. There had to be something more. Somewhere…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all those who read, commented and gave kudos for this story. :-)   
> If you are interest, a sequel is in work.  
> Have a nice day. :-)


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